Turning Point USA / Turning Point Action

Former Arizona Republican state representative Austin Smith, a onetime leader of Turning Point Action who questioned the integrity of the 2020 election, is set to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in November 2025 to using forged signatures on his 2024 reelection nominating petitions, including signing a dead woman’s name. Under a plea agreement, the 30-year-old will receive probation, pay a $5,000 fine, and be barred from running for public office for five years after admitting he knowingly submitted falsified petitions even as he publicly backed efforts to restrict voting and ban mail ballots.