Steve Bannon, a conservative media personality, promised to protect Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer for Donald Trump, before Giuliani received a court summons in the Arizona fake electors case against him. In April, a grand jury indicted 18 people for allegedly conspiring to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in Arizona, with Giuliani’s name among the redacted Trump allies. Giuliani was served the summons at his early 80th birthday celebration in Florida, just after guests finished singing “Happy Birthday” to him.
Giuliani, who will turn 80 on May 28, celebrated his birthday by hosting a livestream with friends in Palm Beach, Florida. During the livestream, Bannon expressed support for Giuliani, stating that they would not allow him to be pressured, bankrupted, or jailed by the government. Bannon emphasized the importance of Giuliani’s involvement in the political landscape, particularly leading up to the 2024 election. Despite the legal challenges Giuliani faces, his head of security affirmed that he would not hide from a subpoena and that he was always transparent about his location.
The Arizona indictment against Giuliani alleges that he and others conspired to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to Joe Biden and keep Trump in office against the will of Arizona voters. The indictment claims that this scheme would have deprived voters of their right to have their votes counted. Giuliani, along with other defendants, including fake GOP electors and unindicted co-conspirators, are accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona and Georgia. Giuliani’s bankruptcy filing in December 2023 followed a defamation lawsuit where he wrongly accused election workers of fraud during the 2020 election.
Despite the legal challenges Giuliani is facing, Bannon and other supporters are standing behind him, vowing to protect him from what they see as unjust persecution. Bannon criticized Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, calling the case against Giuliani and others a “sham persecution of American patriots.” However, there is no evidence to suggest that Mayes did not fairly win her 2022 race, as confirmed by a recount. Mayes’ team made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, leading to the court’s decision to have a process server deliver it to him at his birthday celebration. Giuliani’s security head clarified that Giuliani was not trying to avoid the subpoena and accepted it in a gentlemanly manner.
The legal battles and controversies surrounding Giuliani, Trump, and their allies continue to unfold as they face accusations of attempting to overturn election results without evidence of widespread fraud. Giuliani’s involvement in these cases has led to financial hardships, including a bankruptcy filing after a defamation lawsuit. Despite these challenges, Giuliani’s supporters, including Bannon, remain committed to standing by him in his legal battles and ensuring that he receives what they perceive as a fair treatment in the legal system. The outcome of these cases and the impact on the political landscape, particularly leading up to the 2024 election, remain uncertain as the legal proceedings continue to unfold.
