Former New York City mayor and attorney of Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, pleaded not guilty to charges against him brought by the state of Georgia, that accuse him of trying to revert the results of the 2020 election in the state illegally along with the former US president.
He will join Donald Trump and appear before a judge in a courtroom which will likely televise the trial as he waived his right to appear at an arraignment hearing set for September 6.
Trump and his long-time attorney are among the 19 people who have been charged in a 41-count indictment which revealed a wide-ranging conspiracy to reverse the will of Georgia’s citizens who in 2020 US elections chose Democrat Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
Giuliani, once known as “America’s mayor” for the way he brought together New York City following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, now faces 13 charges and also a violation of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.
Giuliani’s fall from being a top attorney to New York City mayor to now someone facing Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges have shocked many.
RICO laws have been used in the US to charge criminal elements involved in organized crime and are also being used to charge Trump and 19 other co-defendants.
Giuliani claims the prosecution is a “travesty” and a threat to the “American way of life”. “I am very, very honoured to be involved in this case, because this case is a fight for our way of life,” Giuliani was quoted as saying by the BBC.
In a separate case, a Washington judge ruled last week that the Trump attorney was also liable for defaming two Georgia election workers who were the target of vote-rigging conspiracy accusations following the 2020 presidential election.
The former mayor is also facing economic hardships, as reported by the CNN, and faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills and sanctions due to the numerous cases lodged against him.
“He is having financial difficulties,” Giuliani’s lawyers said back in August, according to CNN. His lawyers also pointed out that the former New York City mayor’s law license is already suspended due to which he is struggling to make money.
He has also listed his 3-bedroom Manhattan apartment for sale for $6.5 million to pay his legal fees.
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