Former US President, Donald Trump, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and Rudy Giuliani are among 18 people charged in Arizona with illegally seeking to claim the state’s 2020 electoral votes for the then-U.S. president, in an indictment that names Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, April 24, stems from the attempt by Trump and his allies to pressure election officers in several states to overturn the presidential election won by Joe Biden, efforts for which Trump has been indicted in Georgia and in federal court.
The court papers list “a former U.S. president,” referring to Trump, as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The indictment in Maricopa County Superior Court names 11 defendants and redacts the names of seven others. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes mentioned in a press launch asserting the costs that these names can be made public after the entire defendants had been served with the indictment.
Giuliani is among these whose names are redacted, a spokesperson for him, Ted Goodman, confirmed, criticizing the prosecution of the previous New York mayor as political.
One other defendant whose title was redacted is described within the indictment as chief of staff in 2020, the place Mark Meadows held within the Trump White Home at the moment.
Trump, Giuliani and Meadows are additionally co-defendants within the Georgia case, the place they’re charged with a racketeering conspiracy to overturn Biden’s victory in that state. They’ve pleaded not responsible there. Trump has additionally pleaded not responsible within the federal election-subversion case in Washington.
Trump, a Republican, says all of the cases are a political “witch hunt” to forestall him from defeating Democrat Biden on this year’s presidential rematch.
One other defendant whose title is redacted is Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed, calling the Arizona indictment “one other example of Democrats’ weaponization of the legal system.”
“Christina Bobb is a former Marine Corps officer, who served our nation and the President with distinction. The Democrat platform for 2024: should you can’t beat them, attempt to throw them in jail,” Cheung mentioned.
Giuliani spokesperson Goodman additionally referred to as the Arizona indictment an instance of “the continued weaponization of our justice system,” saying it “ought to concern each American because it does everlasting, irrevocable hurt to the nation.”
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani – probably the most efficient prosecutors in American historical past who took down the Mafia, cleaned up the streets of New York and locked up corrupt public officers – is proud to face up for the numerous Individuals who raised reliable issues surrounding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election,” Goodman mentioned.
The indictment alleges the defendants pressured the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, the Arizona Legislature, and then-Governor Doug Ducey to vary the election outcomes.
