Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been served an indictment in the state's fake elector case, along with 17 other defendants. The indictment stems from their alleged roles in attempting to overturn former President Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Giuliani, a Trump-aligned lawyer, faces charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery, similar to the other defendants. The indictment accuses Giuliani of pressuring Arizona legislators and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to change the election outcome, as well as encouraging Republican electors in Arizona and other contested states to vote for Trump.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, is also among those indicted in the case. Both Meadows and Giuliani were not initially named in the redacted grand jury indictment but were later identified based on descriptions in the document.
Arizona becomes the fourth state where allies of the former president have faced charges related to false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Giuliani is also facing legal proceedings in other states, including Georgia, where he is accused of spearheading efforts to influence state lawmakers.
The indictment includes 11 Arizona Republicans who falsely declared that Trump won in Arizona in the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, four attorneys are accused of organizing an attempt to use fake documents to persuade Congress not to certify Biden’s victory.
While Trump himself was not charged, he was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case. The defendants are scheduled for arraignment, with Eastman being the first to plead not guilty to the charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
The Arizona indictment outlines how Eastman encouraged GOP electors to cast their votes, pressured state lawmakers, and advised then-Vice President Mike Pence on rejecting Democratic electors during the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021.
