GOP Activist Lorraine Pellegrino Makes History with First Guilty Plea in AZ Fake Elector Scandal

The first of Arizona’s 11 fake electors has admitted guilt in an attempt to subvert the 2020 election results. Despite voters in Arizona and across the country electing Joe Biden, efforts persisted to falsely claim victory for Donald Trump.

Lorraine Pellegrino, a conservative activist and former president of Ahwatukee Republican Women, pleaded guilty to filing a false instrument. Richie Taylor, a spokesman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, confirmed the misdemeanor charge.

All 11 fake electors, along with other defendants, face nine felony counts, including fraud, conspiracy, and forgery. In December 2020, Pellegrino was part of a group that signed a fraudulent certificate asserting Trump’s victory, despite Biden winning Arizona by 10,457 votes.

That false certificate was disregarded, and Congress certified Biden’s win during a ceremony delayed by the January 6 insurrection. In April, Arizona AG Kris Mayes indicted 18 people in connection with the fake electors case, including state lawmakers and Trump associates. Trump was not indicted but mentioned as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in court documents.

Some defendants have launched a lawsuit claiming the indictments suppress political speech. However, Mayes’ office counters that excluding Trump from charges demonstrates the case’s apolitical nature.

Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis recently secured a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to cooperate in exchange for dropped charges. Arizona is not alone in dealing with such issues; Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin also face charges against fake electors.