Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer for Donald Trump and erstwhile Mayor of New York, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in an Arizona election interference case regarding a false slate of electors submitted in the 2020 Presidential election.
Giuliani, along with ten others, was charged with counts of tampering with a public record, forgery, and changing vote of an elector by corrupt means or inducement.
The other defendants included Kelli Ward, Tyler Bowyer, Nancy Cottle, Jacob Hoffman, Anthony Kern, James Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, Loraine Pellegrino, Gregory Safsten, Michael Ward, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Jenna Ellis, Christina Bobb, Michael Roman and Mark Meadows.
Prosecutors’ indictment against Giuliani and the ten others says Bowyer, Cottle, Hoffmann, Kern, Moorehead, Pellegrino, Safsten, as well as Kelli and Michael Ward were on a list of “fake presidential electors” within the Arizona Republican Party that voted for Trump. The other defendants allegedly aided in the conspiracy, including Giuliani.
The indictment alleges that, from November 3, 2020 until January 6th, 2021, the group acted “[to prevent] the lawful transfer of the presidency of the United States, [to keep] President Donald J. Trump in office against the will of Arizona voters” and to deprive Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted under the US and Arizona Constitutions as well as and the Arizona state law.
Giuliani and the other defendants allegedly raised claims of widespread voter fraud to pressure election officials to change the votes. Prosecutors say the defendants deceived Arizona voters by stating that the votes were contingent only on a “legal challenge” and not standard election procedures.
Standard election procedures under the federal Electoral Count Act of 1887 stipulate that the presidential electors are given a certificate of ascertainment at least six days before these electors’ vote. The electors themselves are determined by the winners of the popular vote—which would have been then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Arizona’s presidential electors also must vote for the winner of the popular vote under state law.
Prosecutors say the defendants wanted their voter fraud claims to cause then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the votes as they were officially counted in 2021 and not allow Biden and Harris to assume their offices.
Giuliani’s appearance in court followed a weeks-long attempt by Giuliani to evade a court summons, which nearly caused the case to be dismissed if Arizona prosecutors could not properly serve him. Giuliani chose to appear in court without counsel, claiming that he could “handle the arraignment himself.”
The trial of Giuliani and the other defendants is slated to begin on October 10, 2024.
