GOP Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar subpoenaed by Arizona AG in 2020 election investigation

Arizona Representatives Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar have been subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury as part of an investigation by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes into Republican efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, according to Politico. 

The subpoenas were issued earlier in 2024 but have not been previously reported. While there is no indication that criminal charges are being considered against either lawmaker, it remains unclear if the Attorney General will enforce the subpoenas, as both Biggs and Gosar may have legal grounds to refuse to testify. 

Both representatives played prominent roles in challenging the election results on January 6, 2021. Gosar notably was the first Congressperson to object to the electoral count. 

Additionally, the two were present at a White House meeting in December 2020 where strategies were discussed on how Vice President Mike Pence could prevent the certification of the election. The January 6 committee previously claimed to have obtained text messages indicating that Biggs reached out to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows after the election to advocate for state legislatures to challenge and overturn results in several states won by Biden. 

Attorney General Mayes appears to be nearing a decision on whether to request the grand jury to issue indictments. If so, this would mark the fourth instance where a state or prosecutor has brought criminal charges against Trump and his allies for submitting slates of alternative electors in states won by Biden in the election. 

Trump allies have also said that the election challenge strategy has similarly been done in the state of Hawaii during the 1960 presidential election where there was a debate about the outcome between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.