Austin Smith, a former Arizona Republican lawmaker and Turning Point Action leader, is due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to using nominating petitions that contained forged signatures. He admitted forging the signature of a deceased woman and attempting to file petitions with signatures he knew were false. Smith resigned his leadership post, withdrew from his 2024 reelection bid, and faces probation, a $5,000 fine and a five-year ban from seeking public office.
Former Arizona Lawmaker Austin Smith To Be Sentenced Over Forged Nominating Petitions
FILE - Former Arizona state Rep. Austin Smith, R-Wittmann, pauses during a session on the floor during a debate on the Arizona abortion law at the capitol, April 24, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
A former Arizona Republican lawmaker and one-time leader of Turning Point Action is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to using nominating petitions that contained forged signatures while trying to qualify for the 2024 primary.
Case Details
Austin Smith, 30, pleaded guilty in mid-November to charges of attempted fraudulent schemes and practices and illegal signing of election petitions. Prosecutors say Smith acknowledged attempting to submit petitions that included signatures he knew were false and forging the signature of a deceased woman on a nominating petition.
Political Background
Smith served one term representing a suburban Phoenix district in the Arizona House. He dropped his reelection bid in April 2024 after questions emerged about signatures on his nominating petitions and resigned as a leader of Turning Point Action, the campaign arm of Turning Point USA. Smith's biography said he was approached in 2019 by Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk and Tyler Bowyer about helping to launch Turning Point Action.
Plea Agreement And Potential Penalty
Under his plea agreement, Smith faces probation, a $5,000 fine and a five-year ban from running for public office. The agreement calls for sentencing to be imposed on the scheduled court date.
Context And Reactions
Smith previously described the allegations as a "coordinated" Democratic attack that was "silly on its face," but said he would withdraw from his reelection campaign to avoid mounting legal bills.
During his time in office and on the campaign trail, Smith supported a Republican-led review of the 2020 presidential election results in Maricopa County — a review that did not produce evidence supporting former President Donald Trump's claims of a stolen election. He also sponsored an unsuccessful proposal to ban voting by mail and used campaign ads to criticize political elites for allegedly breaking election rules.
The case underscores ongoing scrutiny of campaign petition practices and adds a notable example of a conservative organizer and elected official pleading guilty to election-related offenses.
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