Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty in Arizona ‘fake electors’ scheme
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Rudy Giuliani and several other defendants in the Arizona “fake electors” case have been arraigned on charges of conspiracy, fraud and forgery over an alleged scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Donald Trump’s favor.
The defendants appeared in court, in person and virtually, on Tuesday in Phoenix. Giuliani, who appeared without a lawyer, called in, telling the judge that he didn’t have a copy of the indictment but has a “general familiarity with the charges from reading it in the newspapers.” He pleaded not guilty.
Others arraigned Tuesday include former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward and Christina Bobb, who served as a 2020 Trump campaign adviser and is now an “election integrity” lawyer for the Republican National Committee. They all pleaded not guilty.
Giuliani’s arraignment caps an unnecessarily drawn-out ordeal to begin the proceedings against him. He and 17 others were indicted in the case in April, but Arizona authorities had been unable to locate him to serve him notice.
They finally caught up with him Friday night in Palm Beach, Florida, as he was leaving a celebration for his upcoming 80th birthday. Just hours before, Giuliani had taunted Arizona authorities and even livestreamed an episode of his YouTube show from his party.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told CNN on Monday night that Giuliani had led authorities to him.
“We found him essentially through his livestreams; he’s not that hard to find,” Mayes said. “And so we did that and our agents professionally served him after his birthday party, as the party was winding down and as he himself was leaving the house that he was in.”
I had just found out they were looking for me 24 hours before a surprise party was given to me by
2 00 Democrats and Republicans. I told them where I would be and I accepted service like a gentleman! I look forward to the day when the court systems are held accountable for… https://t.co/3ZvERV5lDI— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) May 19, 2024
Giuliani wrote in a post on X that he had learned that Arizona authorities were trying to find him only 24 hours before he was served and that he had “told them where I would be.”
At the arraignment, prosecutors rebutted Giuliani’s claims about the indictment and told the judge how difficult it was to serve him notice. The judge set a $10,000 secured appearance bond for Giuliani and ordered him to appear at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for booking within 30 days.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
