Former Arizona state lawmaker Austin Smith has pleaded guilty to forging signatures on his campaign nomination petitions, including signing the name of a deceased person and submitting other falsified supporter signatures. The case prompted Smith to step down from his role as senior director at Turning Point Action, a conservative advocacy organization.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, Smith is expected to receive probation, pay a $5,000 fine, and accept a five-year ban on holding public office. He has also withdrawn from his reelection bid, citing the financial strain of legal expenses.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said Smith acknowledged the misconduct in court. “As a part of his guilty plea today, Smith admitted signing the name of a deceased woman on one of his candidate nomination petitions in March of 2024,” she said.
Mayes added that Smith “attempted to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by knowingly filing petitions containing forged signatures of purported supporters of his nomination for the Republican primary for State Representative from LD 29.”
Smith had previously supported the 2020 Maricopa County election audits but ultimately produced no evidence of widespread fraud. Mayes argued that his actions now cut against the integrity he claimed to defend.
“Forging signatures, including those of people who have died, in order to get yourself on the ballot is illegal, and it erodes trust in our elections,” Mayes said, adding that her office will continue pursuing anyone who “tries to cheat the system and mislead Arizona voters.”
