While former President Donald Trump's trial plays out in New York City, some of his past associates are facing their own legal issues in Arizona.
According to The Hill, former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani pleaded not guilty to nine charges regarding his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Former Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward and numerous others charged in the election-related case entered not guilty pleas this week.
Giuliani also faces an indictment out of Fulton County, Georgia in another 2020 election-related case. He also pleaded not guilty to those charges.
In total, Arizona is going after 18 defendants in the election-related case, with charges of conspiracy, fraud and forgery.
The Hill noted:
The other defendants in the case include the 11 individuals who signed documents asserting that they were the legitimate electors in the state and that Trump had won, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn and attorneys Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb.
In a nutshell, all of the defendants have been charged with promoting false claims about the election in an effort to convince state officials to overturn the 2020 election results. President Joe Biden won the state.
Notably, it took Arizona officials quite a bit of time to track Giuliani down to serve him with the summons to appear for the arraignment, but he was finally served right after his 80th birthday party.
That moment itself made national headlines, as Giuliani taunted Arizona officials in a post on X in which he posed with several people for a picture at his birthday celebration.
Rudy Giuliani getting served at his 80th birthday party within an hour of taunting Arizona officials in his fake electors case is the most Rudy Giuliani thing ever. pic.twitter.com/fV4ak69MBC
— Scott Charles, MAPP, FCPP (@TheScottCharles) May 18, 2024
Giuliani's spokesperson, Ted Goodman, released a statement on the latest in the case, blaming the Biden administration for engaging in election interference.
"These charges are essentially a cut and paste version of what they’re attempting to use to interfere with the 2024 Election and to take down President Trump and anyone willing to take on the permanent Washington political class," Goodman said.
In total, four states have launched similar 2020 election-related cases.
Trump has not been indicted in Arizona.
