A Republican activist who signed a document falsely claiming that former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election in Arizona has pleaded guilty, marking the first conviction in the state’s case against so-called “fake voters.”
Loraine Pellegrino, former president of the group Ahwatukee Republican Women, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of presenting a false document, according to court documents.
Richie Taylor, a spokesman for the Arizona attorney general’s office, confirmed Pellegrino’s guilty plea but declined to comment further.
Court records show Pellegrino’s change of plea was entered Tuesday, and she was sentenced to unsupervised probation. Details of her settlement have not yet been released by the court. She has already faced nine criminal charges. The Hill requested comment from his attorney.
Pellegrino was charged along with 17 other people, including Trump lawyers and aides — such as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani — and 10 additional pro-Trump voters who falsely claimed Trump won the state. President Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes.
The alternative electors scheme relied on former Vice President Mike Pence to certify slates of Trump-supporting voters in swing states rather than the actual Electoral College votes cast for Biden. Pence refused to do so on January 6, 2021, the day of election certification, after which a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
On Monday, former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis’ charges were dismissed after she agreed to cooperate with state prosecutors. She faced nine criminal charges, including fraud, forgery and conspiracy.
As part of the agreement, Ellis agreed to testify “fully and truthfully at any time and in any place,” including in a criminal trial. She also promised not to “protect any person or entity” through false information or omissions.
The case against the remaining defendants is expected to go to trial in October.
Prosecutors in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada also brought criminal charges related to the fake voter scheme, although the Nevada case was dismissed in June. State prosecutors appealed that decision.
Updated at 9:46 p.m.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
