Giuliani, 10 Others Arraigned in Arizona Fake Electors Case

He was ordered to come to Arizona within 30 days
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 21, 2024 4:57 PM CDT
Giuliani, 10 Others Arraigned in Arizona Fake Electors Case
Former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward with husband Michael Ward walks out of Maricopa County Superior Court, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Phoenix.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Rudy Giuliani and ten other people indicted in the Arizona election case pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, fraud, and forgery charges Tuesday—but Giuliani was the only one ordered to post a bond. Giuliani, who taunted prosecutors before he was served with the indictment notice at his 80th birthday party on Friday, appeared remotely at the Phoenix hearing. He was ordered to post $10,000 bond and come to Arizona to be booked within 30 days, the Arizona Republic reports. "Quite frankly, he has been mocking the justice system in Arizona," said prosecutor Nicholas Klingerman.

The ten other defendants arraigned Tuesday include another Donald Trump aide, Christina Bobbs, and nine fake electors, the New York Times reports. Attorney John Eastman, who allegedly helped craft the plot to bring in slates of fake electors in swing states, was arraigned last week. Others indicted by a grand jury in the case will be arraigned next month, including Mark Meadows, Trump's former White House chief of staff. The indictment lists Trump as "Unindicted Co-conspirator 1."

According to the indictment, Kelli Ward, a former chair of the Arizona GOP who was one of the fake electors arraigned Monday, organized the fake slate of electors after the 2020 election and urged then-Vice President Mike Pence to accept it, AP reports. Giuliani is accused of spreading misinformation and pressuring officials to change the outcome of the election, per the Republic. He told the court Tuesday that he does not have an attorney but plans to get one. Asked if he needed counsel appointed, he said, "No, no, I think I am capable of handling it myself." The trial is scheduled to begin in October. (More Arizona stories.)

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