Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been served an indictment in Arizona’s fake elector case alongside 17 other defendants for their roles in attempting to overturn former President Donald Trump’s loss to President Biden in the 2020 election. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced this news on her social media account late Friday, indicating that no one is above the law. Giuliani faces charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery, similar to the other defendants. His political adviser, Ted Goodman, confirmed that Giuliani was served after his 80th birthday celebration.
The indictment alleges that Giuliani pressured Arizona legislators and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to change the outcome of Arizona’s election. He was also accused of encouraging Republican electors in Arizona and six other states to vote for Trump. A copy of the unredacted indictment is set to be released on Monday, and Giuliani is expected to appear in court on Tuesday unless granted a delay. Other individuals, including Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, have also been indicted in the case.
Arizona becomes the fourth state where allies of former President Trump have been charged with spreading false claims about voter fraud related to the 2020 election. Giuliani is facing multiple legal proceedings, including a bankruptcy case where he was ordered to pay $148 million for spreading false conspiracy theories. He was also indicted in Georgia for his efforts to influence state lawmakers to appoint pro-Trump electors. Among the defendants in the Arizona case are 11 Republicans who submitted false documents to Congress claiming Trump won in Arizona, as well as individuals involved in organizing the attempt to persuade Congress not to certify Biden’s victory.
The 11 people nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in December 2020 to sign a certificate claiming Trump won the state, despite Biden’s victory by more than 10,000 votes. John Eastman, who devised a strategy to persuade Congress not to certify the election, was the first person charged in the fake elector case. He pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, fraud, and forgery charges. Eastman denied any involvement in election litigation in Arizona and expressed confidence in being fully exonerated. Arraignments are scheduled for 12 other individuals charged in the case, including nine of the 11 Republicans who falsely declared Trump’s victory in Arizona.
The indictment against Eastman alleges that he encouraged GOP electors to cast their votes, pressured state lawmakers to change the election outcome, and suggested to then-Vice President Mike Pence that he could reject Democratic electors during the counting of electoral votes in Congress on January 6, 2021. Giuliani and Meadows were not named in the initial indictment but were identifiable based on descriptions. Arizona’s attorney general’s office confirmed that Meadows had been served and charged with the same counts as other defendants. Giuliani faces legal challenges in multiple states related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
