Rudy Giuliani has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, alleging that he participated in a “fake elector” conspiracy to declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 Arizona election.
On Tuesday, over a dozen of the former president’s supporters pleaded not guilty to state conspiracy and fraud allegations.
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Mr. Giuliani attended the hearing remotely and without a lawyer, with his trial date set for October.
This case did not charge Mr. Trump.
Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s former lawyer, stated that he was “capable of handling” the Arizona hearing and did not want a court-appointed attorney.
After he pleaded not guilty, prosecutors informed the judge that he had dodged attempts to serve him with an official summons to court for several weeks. On Friday, after his 80th birthday party, prosecutors delivered the court documents to Mr. Giuliani.
As a result, the judge ordered Mr. Giuliani to appear in person in Arizona within the next 30 days for booking formalities, including a mug photo.
He will also have to post a $10,000 secured appearance bond. Defendants deemed flight risks, who may flee the state or nation to avoid punishment, sometimes require bonds.
That bond may prove challenging for Mr. Giuliani, who declared bankruptcy last year after losing a $148 million slander case.
Arizona has charged 18 Republicans with saying Mr. Trump won the state in 2020, when in fact the Democratic contender, President Joe Biden, won it by more than 10,000 votes. It joins Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada in prosecuting Republican officials for allegedly seeking to disrupt Joe Biden’s 2020 election and illegally keep President Trump in office.
On Tuesday, the state charged 11 Republicans with falsely claiming to be Arizona’s actual electors and promising to vote for Donald Trump in a paper they sent to Congress.
Among them were Kelli Ward, a former Arizona Republican Party chairwoman, and her husband, Michael Ward, both of whom pleaded not guilty.
Although Mr. Trump has not received an accusation from the state, he is believed to be one of the unindicted co-conspirators included in the sweeping indictment last month.
Mark Meadows, Mr. Trump’s former Chief of Staff, is among the four high-profile officials scheduled to appear in court in June. Last week saw the arraignment of attorney John Eastman, who has pleaded not guilty.
