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Former AZ state lawmaker indicted for fraud
Austin Smith, a former Republican state lawmaker who represented a legislative district in Surprise, is accused of submitting fake petition signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office when he was running for re-election in 2024.
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Officials with the Arizona Attorney General's Office say a man who once represented parts of the West Valley at the Arizona State Legislature has been indicted.
What we know:
According to documents provided by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, Austin Cole Smith has been indicted on the following:
- One count of Fraudulent Schemes and Practices, a felony
- Four counts of Presentment of False Instrument For Filing, all felonies
- 10 counts of Illegal Signing of Election Petitions, all misdemeanors
Per a brief statement, Cole is accused of "deceiving the Secretary of State’s office with petitions containing forged elector signatures and signing names other than his own to the nominating petition."
The backstory:
In April 2024, the Associated Press reported that Smith, who they described at the time as a leader of the conservative group Turning Point Action, resigned from the group and dropped his re-election bid over forged signature allegations.
The allegations against Smith was revealed in a complaint that was filed by a Democratic activist in Smith's legislative district, who alleged that several of Smith's petition sheets contain signatures "that appear to have been written by the same person" and said "many of those signatures bear a striking resemblance to Smith’s." The complaint also included affidavits from two voters whose names were on Smith's petitions, but both say they never signed.
At the time he announced his withdrawal from the race, Smith condemned the allegations as "a coordinated attack by Democrats" that was "silly on its face," but said he is dropping out in order to avoid racking up legal bills.