Some supporters of ex-President Donald Trump were indicted on Tuesday in Phoenix for charges including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. These charges stem from an alleged plot to present fake electors in the 2020 election who claimed to support Trump, even though President Biden won the state.
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and attorney for Donald Trump, entered a plea of not guilty to nine federal charges during a virtual court appearance. The charges were filed against him after he was served on Friday night, as he was leaving his 80th birthday celebration.
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The list of defendants comprises various individuals, including Kelli Ward, the former chair of the Arizona Republican Party, Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, attorneys Jenna Ellis and Christina Bobb, Tyler Bowyer, the former youth director of Turning Point USA, and Arizona Republican state election officials.
In a New York criminal court, Donald Trump is currently facing trial on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Although he is not one of the defendants, the indictment repeatedly refers to him as an “unindicted co-conspirator.” Trump has entered a plea of not guilty in this case.
The indictment in Arizona accuses the defendants of intentionally falsifying, concealing, or covering up important information. They are alleged to have used deceptive tactics or created false documents. Specifically, they are accused of submitting two certificates of votes for President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Michael Pence, which were filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Arizona Secretary of State.
Giuliani’s spokesperson maintains that the charges against him are politically motivated.
“Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, dismissed these charges as a mere replication of the tactics being used to meddle in the upcoming 2024 election and undermine President Trump, as well as anyone bold enough to challenge the entrenched political elite in Washington. He accused Joe Biden and his supporters of weaponizing the criminal justice system in their relentless pursuit to bring down President Trump and cling onto power. Giuliani, renowned as one of the most accomplished federal prosecutors in American history, eagerly awaits complete exoneration in the near future.”
The charges revolve around a document that was submitted to Congress falsely claiming that Trump had won the state, despite Mr. Biden’s victory by over 10,000 votes. According to the indictment, Ward is accused of orchestrating this effort and urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to accept the fraudulent submission as legitimate.
The indictment states that on December 14, 2020, the electors convened in Phoenix and affixed their signatures to the certificate, proclaiming themselves as the “legitimate and qualified Electors for President and Vice President of the United States from the State of Arizona.” Furthermore, the indictment accuses them of sharing a video on social media on the same day, where they proudly declared, “We are the electors who represent the lawful voters of Arizona! #Trump2020 #MAGA.”
Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes has declared that if the scheme had been successful, it would have violated the rights of Arizona’s voters to have their votes counted for their preferred presidential candidate.
John Eastman, the former attorney for Trump, entered a plea of not guilty last Friday to charges of fraud, conspiracy, and forgery. Eastman has been accused of orchestrating a scheme aimed at convincing Congress to reject the election results.
In 2020, Trump lost Arizona, among seven other states, where his allies have been accused of orchestrating schemes to appoint alternate electors for the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. This session was held for the purpose of counting the Electoral College votes.
Several Trump allies in Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada have also faced charges for their involvement in alleged false elector schemes.
Trump faces numerous criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions. Alongside the New York charges, he has been accused of dozens of felonies in three other jurisdictions. These include federal charges linked to the January 6, 2021, riot and charges in Fulton County, Georgia, concerning alleged election interference. Trump maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing. Apart from Trump, Giuliani, Meadows, Ellis, Eastman, and Michael Roman are among the 19 defendants facing charges in Georgia.
