PHOENIX – Arizona Democratic Attorney General Chris Mays announced Friday that Rudy Giuliani has been served with a notice of indictment on charges related to a conspiracy to overturn Arizona’s 2020 election results.
The announcement came less than two hours after Mr. Giuliani mocked Mr. Mays in a social media post for not informing him of the charges against him. The notice was distributed during Giuliani’s 80th birthday celebration in Palm Beach, Florida.
In a now-deleted post on X, Giuliani mocked Arizona officials. “If Arizona authorities can’t find me by tomorrow morning, 1. The charges must be dismissed. 2. They must admit that the votes cannot be counted,” Giuliani posted Friday night. The message also included a photo of Giuliani smiling with six others and balloons floating in the background.
An hour and 14 minutes later, Mays responded to Giuliani’s post: @RudyGiuliani, no one is above the law. ”
Mr. Giuliani, 79, turned 80 on May 28 and was enjoying an early birthday celebration in Palm Beach the night he was sentenced to prison, according to his social media activity. By the end of the night, “Happy Birthday to You” wasn’t the only music the former New York City mayor had to face.
The party was hosted by Caroline Wren, an advisor to Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake.
Mr. Giuliani’s spokesman, Ted Goodman, said Mr. Giuliani was unfazed by the uproar at his birthday celebration. “The Mayor was upset by the decision to embarrass him during his 80th birthday party. He had a wonderful evening with hundreds of people who love him from all walks of life, and I We look forward to being completely exonerated in the near future,” Goodman said in a statement to NBC News.
Others charged in the “fake elector” case are further along in the legal process. On Friday morning, President Trump’s former lawyer John Eastman pleaded not guilty to charges related to a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona. Arraignments for 11 other defendants are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Arizona’s “fake elector” scheme is not the only controversy Giuliani has faced in the wake of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In December 2023, Giuliani was awarded a $148 million judgment for defaming two Georgia election officials.
