Readers may recall that back in April, a grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona, indicted nearly 20 Republicans and associates of Donald Trump after Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes opened a case against the 2020 “fake voters” on charges of fraud and had initiated forgery of documents, and conspiracy:
A grand jury in Arizona has indicted 11 Arizona Republicans who were at the center of the 2020 “fake voter” controversy – in which Republicans attempted to nominate and send “alternative” voters to Washington DC – voters, which supported the theory that the 2020 election was stolen.
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The 11 Republicans met at Arizona GOP headquarters a month after the 2020 election and signed a certificate claiming to be the state’s 11 electors. They posted the letter on social media and sent it to Congress.
My colleague Joe Cunningham added that another party mentioned in the indictment was “unindicted co-conspirator 1,” believed to be former President Donald Trump.
Read more: Arizona grand jury indicts 11 Republicans and Trump associates in 2020 ‘Fake Elector’ scheme
The total number of defendants reached 18, including former Trump administration chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, former Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward and others.
On Wednesday, the judge made a ruling in the case has withdrawnafter a series of emails surfaced showing bias against 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris:
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen, who presided over Arizona’s case against fraudulent pro-Trump voters, has resigned from his post amid allegations of bias.
The Arizona Daily Independent reported to the emails received by Arizona State Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Travis Grantham.
In the emails, Cohen “demanded that all judges and all commissioners – particularly those who were white and/or male – defend Kamala Harris and other people of color”:
Cohen was outraged by the rhetoric surrounding the Democratic presidential nominee’s selection of Harris as a “DEI employee” and the questioning of her integrity with allegations that she was promiscuous with generals in the Situation Room.
He wrote:
“It matters whether your chromosomes are made up of ‘XY’. It is even more important if your skin color is classified as “white” or Caucasian. We must raise our voices. We need to tell those in our sphere of influence that this crap has to stop. NOW! We cannot allow our colleagues to feel like they are alone while others suggest that their rise was not based on exceptionalism. We cannot allow our colleagues who identify as a person of color to stand alone when there are others who claim that their advancement was an “equity hire” and not based solely on exceptionalism. We can no longer remain mute just because others are exercising their right to freedom of expression – we too have this right and must exercise it.”
The emails also included a call to defend Harris against criticism from “Nazis”:
Cohen equated Harris’ critics with Nazis and said that those who refused to stand up for Harris, as well as other women and “colleagues who identify as a person of color,” were just as bad as those who were evil allowed holocaust to take place.
The Daily Independent reported that Judge Cohen sent another email to his fellow judges the following day – an apology:
“Earlier this week I allowed my passion to cloud my judgment and sent an email using this as a forum. After some thought, I realized that this was not a proper use of this forum. I sincerely apologize to anyone who was upset or negatively impacted by my error in judgment.”
On Wednesday, the judge went one step further: announce documented in a court document his decision to resign in the 2020 election. He wrote:
“This court is also mindful of the impression the subject email may have created on those who may have interpreted the communication differently than intended. Because of the commitment to justice, not even the appearance of bias must undermine the fundamental justice that the court extends to all who come before it.”
Former Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano first appointed Cohen to the Arizona bench in 2005. His term ends in January 2025.
The denial follows a filing in Arizona Superior Court by David Warrington and Michael Columbo, attorneys representing Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman in the lawsuit. They questioned whether Cohen could remain impartial in lightweight of his emails, writing, among other things:
“While Judge Cohen is entitled to his political views and speech, his rhetoric and exhortations accurately reflect the evidence of hostile partisan political fervor underlying the motions to dismiss [the case] who have been languishing in court for months.”
You can read the submission Here.
The trial against the “false voters” is scheduled to begin in January 2026. RedState will keep you updated on developments in this story.
