A former Republican lawmaker in Arizona pleaded guilty Monday to criminal charges for forging signatures on nominating petitions during his 2024 campaign.

Austin Smith, 30, represented an Arizona House district in the Phoenix suburbs for one term before dropping his reelection bid in April 2024 when questions arose about signatures on his nominating petitions. He also resigned at the time as a leader of the conservative group Turning Point Action.

The plea agreement calls for Smith to be sentenced to probation, pay a $5,000 fine and be barred from running for public office for five years. He pleaded guilty to attempted fraudulent schemes and practices, and illegal signing of election petitions.

In campaign literature, Smith voiced support for a Republican-backed review of the 2020 presi

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