PHOENIX (AZFamily/AP) — Weeks after being served with a notice of his indictment, former New York Mayor and ex-president Donald Trump ally Rudy Giuliani was processed in Phoenix on Monday in the so-called fake electors case.
His mugshot was released just after 2 p.m., around the time he posted his $10,000 bond.
Giuliani was the only defendant in the case ordered to post bond.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani — the most effective federal prosecutor in U.S. history — will be fully vindicated,” said his spokesperson, Ted Goodman. “This is yet another example of partisan actors weaponizing the criminal justice system to interfere with the 2024 presidential election through outlandish charges against President Trump and anyone willing to take on the permanent Washington political class.”
On May 21, Giuliani and 10 others pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges of conspiracy, forgery, and fraud. He appeared in court remotely.
A judge ordered Giuliani to post a secured appearance bond of $10,000 and appear in Arizona within a month for booking procedures.
In April, 11 Arizona politicians and seven Trump officials were officially indicted on charges for their alleged roles in trying to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Arizona to Joe Biden.
The group of 11 was nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors and met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claiming that Trump carried the state.
The Arizona Republican Party posted a one-minute video of the signing ceremony on social media at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
The alleged phony electors are now facing felony counts of fraud, forgery and conspiracy.
It took authorities weeks to find Giuliani. He was finally served on May 19 as he was walking to a car after his 80th birthday celebration in Florida.
He and all the other defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Witness list released
We’re also getting our first look at the initial list of potential witnesses, which includes some big names in Arizona politics.
Former Gov. Doug Ducey tops the list.
Four years ago, he famously ignored a phone call from Trump while he certified the results of the 2020 election Biden won Arizona by less than 11,000 votes.
“You would normally expect to see more witnesses. I was surprised how few witnesses were named,” said Seth Goertz, a former state and federal prosecutor who was not affiliated with the case.
He also said the number of witnesses could grow as this case continues.
In addition to Ducey, the 19 witnesses named in a 39-page document (see below) include former GOP state lawmakers like Rusty Bowers and members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
“There are 18 defendants and they have to get in the heads of every single one and prove that every single one beyond a reasonable doubt had intent to commit fraud,” said Goertz.
Based on the court filing, Goertz said proving that all the defendants intended to break the law and overturn an election could be a tough task.
“The fact that they signed a document doesn’t mean anything if every one of them can point to someone else they were relying in good faith on the advice of an attorney,” Goertz said.
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