Allies of former President Donald Trump were arraigned Tuesday in Phoenix on charges including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery related to an alleged scheme to put forward phony electors in the 2020 election despite President Biden winning the state. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former attorney, pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges during a virtual appearance. Other defendants include former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Jenna Ellis and Christina Bobb, and several Arizona Republican state election officials.
The indictment alleges the defendants falsified documents to declare Trump the winner of Arizona, despite Biden’s victory by over 10,000 votes. The fake electors allegedly signed a certificate on December 14, 2020, claiming to be the “duly elected and qualified Electors” and posted a video on social media declaring their support for Trump. Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes emphasized that the scheme, if successful, would have deprived Arizona voters of their rightful choice for president.
This case is part of a broader investigation into similar schemes in other states. Trump, who faces unrelated charges in New York and other jurisdictions, is not a defendant in this case but is referenced as an “unindicted co-conspirator.” His allies are also facing charges in Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada over related false elector schemes. A spokesperson for Giuliani denounced the charges as politically motivated, while Giuliani and others maintain their innocence and await trial.
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