Giuliani’s 80th birthday surprise — getting served with indictment papers

Rudy Giuliani received a different kind of surprise at the end of his 80th birthday bash Friday night when he was served with a notice of indictment in Arizona’s 2020 election subversion case after weeks of successfully evading the state’s prosecution.

Arizona prosecutors had been attempting to locate the former Trump attorney since his indictment at the end of April, along with 17 other Trump allies, including former White House chief of staff John Eastman and lawyer Boris Epshteyn. The indictment, which also names former President Donald Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator, includes felony counts of conspiracy, fraud and forgery.

When representatives from the Attorney General’s office arrived, Giuliani was at his 80th birthday party, hosted in Palm Beach by GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren. The bustling event is said to have boasted roughly 200 attendees — a veritable who’s who of the former president’s inner circle, including Trump allies Steve Bannon and Roger Stone.

In a since-deleted post to X in the middle of the celebration, Giuliani taunted: “If Arizona authorities can’t find me by tomorrow morning: 1. They must dismiss the indictment; 2. They must concede they can’t count votes.”

But around 11 p.m. as the festivities wound down for the night, agents from the AG’s office arrived and served Giuliani with indictment papers outside the house, causing several of the guests to express outrage.

Richie Taylor, communications director for the Arizona AG’s office, confirmed that the office finally determined Giuliani’s whereabouts thanks to his nightly live streams on X — an iteration of which he streamed alongside Bannon and Stone during his party shortly before being served.

Minutes after the former mayor was handed indictment papers, Arizona AG Kris Mayes reposted Giuliani’s earlier taunt, saying: “The final defendant was served moments ago. @RudyGiuliani nobody is above the law.”

Giuliani took down his original post shortly thereafter.

Still, according to Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, the former mayor remained “unfazed.”

“He was unfazed and enjoyed an incredible evening with hundreds of people, from all walks of life, who love and respect him for his contributions to society. We look forward to full vindication soon,” Goodman told POLITICO.

Wren, who hosted the party, echoed the same sentiment.

“It was a wonderful evening celebrating an America hero, Rudy Giuliani,” she told POLITICO. “It’s a shame that while the Arizona southern border is wide open and crime is reaching an all-time high, the AZ Secretary of State’s office thought it was a good use of resources to send agents across the country to serve an indictment to a man who has spent his entire life dedicated to law & order and was just trying to celebrate his 80th birthday amongst friends & family.”

The indictment is the latest in a litany of legal troubles for Giuliani, including an indictment in Georgia on several felony counts for what Georgia prosecutors say was an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Giuliani was also ordered to pay $148 million in damages to two Georgia election workers in a defamation case, causing him to file for bankruptcy in December 2023.

According to Taylor, Giuliani is expected to appear in court for the Arizona case on Tuesday.