Donald Trump’s circle of allies is again in the spotlight with the latest slew of indictories, hinting at a tightening legal noose around those who worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Arizona prosecutors have unveiled indictments against several of Trump’s associates, including high-profile attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Three people accused of serving as fake Trump electors in Georgia have been charged in that case. All have pleaded not guilty.
Rudy Giuliani, who led Trump’s post-election efforts, was one of the people charged in a indictment filed in Arizona on Wednesday, according to media reports, after already being criminally charged in Georgia. The former mayor has had his law license suspended and proceedings are underway to determine if he should be fully disbarred.
John Eastman was also reportedly charged in Arizona, after already being indicted in Georgia and having 11 charges filed against him by counsel for the California State Bar stemming from his efforts to challenge the election results with Trump. A judge recommended in March that Eastman be disbarred and sanctioned $10,000 for his post-election efforts, which the lawyer intends to appeal.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime attorney served a three-year sentence in prison and home confinement for tax evasion and campaign finance-related crimes, after he orchestrated a series of “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal over allegations they had affairs with Trump.
All defendants appear to have been charged under each count of the indictment. The charges are as follows: conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery. All are felonies, with the most serious being fraudulent schemes and artifices, which carries a standard sentence of five years in prison.
This multi-state legal battle now spans beyond Arizona, with similar charges brought forth in Georgia and indictments in Michigan and Nevada against others involved in the “fake elector” plan.
Relevant articles:
– Arizona Prosecutors Have Found ‘Gold’ Against Trump Allies: Legal Analyst, Newsweek, 04/26/2024
– Giuliani, Eastman, Ellis, Bobb Indicted In Arizona—Here Are All The Former President’s Lawyers Now Facing Consequences, Forbes, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:17:00 GMT
– Trump election subversion case bogs down as allies’ legal woes grow, SRN News, Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:33:55 GMT
– Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe, The Washington Post, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 02:21:00 GMT
– Arizona indicts Trump allies Giuliani, Meadows, 16 others in 2020 election scheme, South China Morning Post, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 03:29:28 GMT