Giuliani pleads ‘not guilty,’ waives arraignment in Georgia case

FILE – Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani speaks to reporters as he leaves his apartment building in New York, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Giuliani on Friday, Sept. 1, pleaded not guilty to Georgia charges that accuse him of trying, along with former President Donald Trump and others, to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani pleaded not guilty Friday to charges in Georgia over his alleged role in conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in the state.

Giuliani also waived his right to appear at an arraignment hearing that was scheduled for next week in Atlanta, according to the new filing.

The move comes a day after former President Trump pleaded not guilty and waived his arraignment in the case.

Giuliani’s plea was not unexpected, coming after a string of not-guilty pleas from his co-defendants. He was also quick to rebuke accusations that he was involved after he surrendered last week in Fulton County.

“I am very, very honored to be involved in this case, because this case is a fight for our way of life,” he said after he was booked at the Fulton County Jail last week. “This indictment is a travesty.”

“This is an attack on the American people,” Giuliani added.

The former New York City mayor is one of 19 co-defendants — including Trump — who were charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last month with a combined 41 counts under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Around 10 others have also waived their right to appear at the arraignment scheduled for Sept. 6, according to The Associated Press.

Giuliani’s charges were mostly centered on his effort to spread false claims of election fraud and his alleged role in the fake electors scheme in Georgia.

Willis on Tuesday asked a judge in Georgia to expedite the cases of all of the defendants after two defendants — former lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell — asked for speedy trials.

Several defendants have asked to move their trials to federal court, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Tags Donald Trump Fani Willis Fulton County Georgia indictment Kenneth Chesebro Mark Meadows Rudy Giuliani Sidney Powell Trump indictment

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