Buckeye resident, former lawmaker pleads not guilty in election fraud case

Buckeye resident and former West Valley Republican lawmaker Austin Cole Smith pleaded not guilty today to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from allegations that he forged signatures on his 2024 reelection petitions. He was released on his own recognizance following his initial arraignment and is not considered dangerous, according to prosecutors.

Smith is charged with submitting petitions to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office that contained forged elector signatures and with signing names other than his own.

The former senior director at Turning Point Action announced in 2023 that he was withdrawing from the Legislative District 29 House race after an election challenge lawsuit alleged he forged signatures.

In a resignation statement, Smith denied wrongdoing and framed the allegations as politically motivated.

Smith has previously criticized InBuckeye’s reporting, particularly its coverage of the dangers of bird flu linked to unregulated factory animal farming. In social media posts on X and Facebook, he called the outlet’s reporting a “witch hunt” against the dairy industry and described it as “counterproductive and dangerous.”

A week after Smith’s most recent criticism, Buckeye-based Hickman’s Family Farms — the largest egg producer in the Southwest — announced it would shut down operations for two years. The company cited a major bird flu outbreak that forced the culling of 6 million huddled chickens and blamed federal vaccine delays for the closure.

State environmental officials acknowledged last week that water near Tonopah could require pumping and treatment if contaminants from a mass bird flu burial site threaten to reach the aquifer. The burial of 2 million chickens at Buckeye-based Hickman’s Family Farms was approved under an emergency waiver, bypassing standard groundwater protection rules, according to state testimony.

ADEQ director nominee Karen Lee Peters admitted the state did not know the depth of groundwater before issuing the waiver, prompting criticism from Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman, who called the decision “the epitome of bad government.”

Smith has been an outspoken supporter of U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., in his campaign for governor. Smith helped organize a Turning Point rally as a credentialed staff member for Biggs in Phoenix on May 31.

Pardons in Arizona are rare compared to other states, according to the Restoration of Rights Project. Under state law, the governor may grant a pardon only if the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency issues a recommendation.

Michael McDaniel can be reached at [email protected]. We invite our readers to submit their civil comments or opinions on this or any issue. Email [email protected].