Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former personal lawyer of Donald J. Trump, was served with a notice of his indictment in the Arizona election interference case. The indictment includes conspiracy, fraud, and forgery charges related to attempts to change the 2020 election results in favor of Mr. Trump. Mr. Giuliani, along with 17 others, are accused of trying to keep Mr. Trump in power despite his defeat in the state. The last defendant to be served, Mr. Giuliani received the notice in Palm Beach County, Fla., after avoiding previous attempts by authorities. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, and fake electors who acted on Mr. Trump’s behalf are among the other defendants in the Arizona case. Mr. Giuliani’s spokesperson confirmed that he was served after his 80th birthday party as he was leaving. Despite the indictment, Mr. Giuliani’s team expressed confidence in his upcoming legal proceedings. The trial in the Arizona election interference case has been tentatively scheduled to start in mid-October, following the court appearance.
Authorities had attempted to serve Mr. Giuliani multiple times in New York City, through phone calls, and certified mail before serving him in Florida. Mr. Giuliani had allegedly been taunting the office online and had evaded previous service attempts. The defendants are accused of pressuring officials responsible for certifying election results to change the outcome. John Eastman, another lawyer for Mr. Trump’s 2020 campaign, was the first of the defendants to be arraigned in the case, where he pleaded not guilty. Several other prominent defendants, including Mr. Meadows and Boris Epshteyn, are scheduled to be arraigned next week.
In addition to the Arizona case, Mr. Giuliani and other former Trump allies also face similar charges in Georgia. Prosecutors in Michigan and Nevada have brought criminal charges related to the Trump campaign’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Last year, a jury ordered Mr. Giuliani to pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers for damaging their reputations with lies. Following the order, a federal judge instructed Mr. Giuliani to pay immediately out of concern that he might conceal his assets if given more time. Mr. Giuliani filed for bankruptcy the next day.
While the initial scheduled court appearance for Mr. Giuliani is fast approaching, there is no deadline for serving the notice of his indictment. The defendants in the case are accused of trying to sway election results despite the official outcome, putting pressure on various officials to change the results. As the legal proceedings continue, including upcoming arraignments for other defendants, the case highlights the ongoing legal challenges related to the 2020 election and efforts to undermine its results. Danny Hakim contributed reporting to the ongoing developments in the Arizona election interference case involving Mr. Giuliani and other defendants.
