Ex-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani is dropping personal charges in Georgia and has pleaded not guilty to the election interference charges
Former attorney for former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, pleaded not guilty to 13 counts in the Georgia election interference case on Friday, joining his former client and 10 other defendants in the full indictment.
Giuliani, 79, waived his right to a formal personal arraignment, scheduled for Sept. 6, and elected to file a written plea of innocence with the Fulton County Superior Court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged the former mayor on Aug. 14 with violating the Peach State’s racketeering statute, conspiring to make false statements and writings, and causing an officer to break his oath.
The 13 counts against Giuliani are the same number as against Trump and more than against any of the 17 other co-defendants in the case.
He is at risk of violating the Georgia RICO Act; three cases of an official being asked to violate an oath; three counts of misstatement and misspelling; two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery; one count of conspiracy to commit impersonating an official; and one count of conspiracy to file false documents.
Giuliani previously called the charges “an affront to American democracy.”
The former federal prosecutor, who is reportedly struggling with rising legal fees, has set up a defense fund for which the 77-year-old former president is doling out a $100,000-per-ticket benefit next week at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey .
Giuliani was released on $150,000 bail after surrendering and posing for a mug shot at the Fulton County Jail on August 23.
Former Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro, former campaign aide Mike Roman, Georgia attorney Robert Cheeley, former Black Voices for Trump executive director Harrison Floyd, Republican poll observer Scott Hall and Rev. Stephen Lee also submitted written pleadings in favor of no on Friday guilty one.
Willis has proposed the trial begin on October 23 and is attempting to try all 19 defendants at the same time.
