Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to nine charges he faces in Arizona in connection with a case focused on efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Giuliani entered a not guilty plea remotely during his arraignment in a Phoenix courtroom. A number of others charged in the case also pleaded not guilty at their arraignments Tuesday, including former Arizona Republican Party Chairman Kerry Ward.
Mr. Giuliani’s trial is scheduled to begin in October. This is Giuliani’s second criminal indictment since he was indicted in the fall in Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
He also pleaded not guilty to all these charges.
Giuliani was indicted last month in Arizona on nine felonies, including conspiracy, fraud and forgery, along with other Trump aides.
All 18 defendants in the case are charged with promoting false claims of voter fraud in an attempt to persuade state officials to reject President Biden’s victory in Arizona.
Other defendants in the lawsuit include 11 people who signed documents claiming they were the states’ legitimate electors and that Trump won, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; They include advisor Boris Epshteyn and attorneys Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb.
Mike Roman, Trump’s 2020 campaign’s Election Day operations manager, was also indicted.
Arizona authorities struggled to pursue a subpoena on Mr. Giuliani for weeks after the charges were filed, but the subpoena was finally served on Friday after his 80th birthday celebration.
At a hearing Tuesday, the judge ordered Giuliani to post $10,000 bail and report to Arizona within the next 30 days to face arrest proceedings.
Giuliani’s press secretary, Ted Goodman, said in a statement that Giuliani expects “full vindication” and baselessly accused Biden and his allies of weaponizing the judicial system to prosecute Trump. denounced.
“These charges are essentially a cut-and-paste version of what they intend to use to disrupt the 2024 election and defeat those seeking to oppose President Trump and the enduring political class in Washington.” Goodman said.
Prosecutors said Ward, who served as state party chairman from 2019 to 2023, gathered fake electors and pressured then-Vice President Pence to declare them legitimate electors. claims.
Ward also pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Eastman was the first defendant to be arraigned in the case last week and also pleaded not guilty.
Most of the defendants were arraigned on Tuesday, but Meadows, Epshteyn and two fake electors are scheduled to be arraigned in June.
Arizona has become the fourth state to face charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump has not been indicted in Arizona, but he is mentioned in the indictment as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
— Updated at 3:33 p.m. ET.
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