Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani pleaded not guilty on Sept. 1 to felony charges in the lawsuit he and 18 others, including former President Donald Trump, are facing.
The 19 defendants were charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, along with a laundry list of other charges, in their efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia by organizing a slate of alternate electors to cast ballots.
All of the defendants previously turned themselves in to authorities before midday of Aug. 25, the deadline issued by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
In addition to pleading not guilty to the 13 felony counts against him, Mr. Giuliani, President Trump’s former attorney, waived his right to a formal in-person arraignment, which was planned for Sept. 6, his attorneys said in a court filing late on Sept. 1.
He will instead submit a written not-guilty plea to the Fulton County Superior Court.
Attorneys for the defendants have argued that the charges constitute a violation of their clients’ rights to free speech, including the right of their clients to challenge the legitimacy of the results of the 2020 election.
Mr. Giuliani’s bond was set at $150,000. The conditions of his bond prevent him from speaking to other defendants.
Mr. Giuliani faces the same number of felony counts as President Trump—more than what each of the other 17 co-defendants were given in the case.
Specifically, Mr. Giuliani was charged by Ms. Willis on Aug. 14 with violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law (one count), soliciting a public officer to violate their oath (three counts), false statements and writings (three counts), conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (two counts), conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree (two counts), conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer (one count), conspiracy to commit filing false documents (one count).
President Trump, like Mr. Giuliani, also pleaded not guilty in the case.
Ms. Willis previously said she wants to try all 19 defendants together.
But several of those charged have filed motions to be tried alone or with a small group of other defendants, while others are trying to move their proceedings to federal court.
Some are seeking to be tried quickly under a Georgia court rule that would have their trials start by early November, while others are already asking the court to extend deadlines.
Due to “the complexity, breadth, and volume of the 98-page indictment,” Mr. Giuliani asked the judge in the Sept. 1 filing to give him at least 30 days after he receives information about witnesses and evidence from prosecutors to file motions. Normally, pretrial motions are to be filed within 10 days after arraignment.
