Rudy Giuliani and 10 others pleaded not guilty in an Arizona court on Tuesday, May 21, to charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, must also pay $10,000 bail after he was accused of ignoring state efforts to issue subpoenas over the past week.
Giuliani appeared remotely at his arraignment in a Phoenix courtroom. His trial is scheduled for October.
Former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kerry Ward and 11 others were also indicted Tuesday in a Phoenix courtroom on charges of conspiracy, forgery and fraud. She and nine others have pleaded not guilty. Her trial is scheduled for October 17th.
Arizona authorities struggled to serve notice of indictment on Rudy Giuliani
Giuliani appeared remotely for his arraignment and said he does not currently have a lawyer but plans to hire one in the future. When the court asked him if he needed an appointed attorney for his arraignment, he replied, “No, no, I think I can handle it myself.”
Arizona authorities struggled for weeks to serve notice of the indictment against Giuliani. They were finally able to serve him on Friday night, May 17, as he was walking to his car. This happened shortly after he celebrated his 80th birthday in Florida.
“I have received a significant number of threats, including death threats. I don’t have a security guard anymore, so I have very strict rules about who stands up and who doesn’t.”
Of the 10 defendants who joined Giuliani in pleading not guilty, four appeared online and six appeared in person. Defendants include Trump ally Christina Bobb and former Trump campaign staffer Mike Roman.
