UPDATES on Arizona "Fake Electors" Case re: Eastman, Giuliani, Ellis and Lamon; Seven Defendants Now Represented By Counsel

Update, 5/14, 4pm: "UPDATES on Arizona "Fake Electors" Case re: Eastman, Giuliani, Ellis and Lamon; Seven Defendants Now Represented By Counsel"

Arraignments will begin this week in Arizona's "Fake Electors" criminal case. There are several minor public-facing updates as jockeying is going on behind the scenes, and we now know the attorneys representing 7 of the 19 defendants.

1) John Eastman has been the only defendant to actually accelerate his arraignment hearing, still set for this Friday at 8:30am. Eastman tells Arizona's Law that he had a prior commitment "on the East Coast" for the main May 21 date. "(W)e asked for a virtual arraignment, which they declined.  Only other option was to move it earlier."

2) Rudy Giuliani remains the only defendant not yet served. The Attorney General's Communications Director Richie Taylor tells Arizona's Law that "multiple attempts were made to serve him but they have been unsuccessful." As reported last week, Giuliani continues to hide in plain sight, doing live broadcasts nearly daily. Today's was from, according to Rudy, "Palm Beach. Just a mile from Mar-a-lago. Just 40 steps from the Intercoastal and about a third of a mile from the Atlantic Ocean."

3) One of the GOP electors, Jim Lamon, asked the Court for a later arraignment. The AG's Office did not oppose, and the court re-set it to June 18.

4) Another of the GOP attorneys who paid a key role in Giuliani's "legislative hearing" in downtown Phoenix, Jenna Ellis, has filed a " Motion for Leave to Complete Photo and Fingerprint Processing". We have not yet seen the Motion.

5) Seven of the defendants have retained counsel who have filed appearances. For example, former U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey is representing Boris Ephshteyn. John Dosdall is representing Nancy Cottle. Dennis Wilenchik (whose son, Jack, was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator) will be the attorney for Lamon. Lorraine Pelegrino will have Joshua Kolsrud as her legal counsel. Eastman is represented by Ashley Adams, and Christina Bobb has Thomas Jacobs.

Interestingly, Bradley Miller is representing Kelli Ward, while her husband, Michael, is still unrepresented. (While Michael Ward was simply one of the so-called fake electors, Kelli had additional activity as the then-Chair of the Arizona GOP.)

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Update, 5/9, 11am: "UPDATE: Eastman Moves Up Arraignment In Arizona "Fake Electors" Case To Next Week, Giuliani Continues To Hide In Plain Sight"

Trump legal architect John Eastman has moved up his arraignment in the Arizona "fake electors" case to next week. Meanwhile, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani remains the only one of the 19 defendants yet to be served.

Giuliani appears to be hiding in plain sight in Palm Beach and south Florida, doing a live 90-minute monologue several nights a week.

Kris Mayes' office confirms to Arizona's Law that Giuliani has yet to be served.

Eastman's arraignment will be conducted on May 17, at 9am. The other 15 defendants are scheduled for May 21 at 8:30, although one or more might also re-schedule before then.

The court docket shows placeholder trial dates in October; however, that is very likely to change.

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Original article, 4/24: "BREAKING: Arizona AG CHARGES "Fake Electors" With Felonies For 2020 Actions"

In addition to the 11 Republicans who were initially legitimately serving as Arizona's Trump slate of electors, the Attorney General has charged seven other individuals. Those people's names will be released once they are all served. (The only thing we currently know of the 7 yet-unnamed defendants are that 5 of them identify as male and 2 as female.)

Washington Post's Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez has reported that the 7 are "former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb, top campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn and former campaign aide Mike Roman." (That matches our previously-reported 5 male/2 female breakdown.)

Unindicted co-conspirator #1 is Trump. Unindicted co-conspirator #2 is fmr Senator Kelly Townsend, for organizing the Joint Resolution (SCR1002) declaring the AZ-11 as the real electors. (30 GOP lawmakers signed on to it.)

Unindicted co-conspirator #3 is 1 of the signers of that Concurrent Resolution and one of the organizers of the infamous Rudy Giuliani/Jenna Ellis "hearing" at a downtown Phx hotel. Several to choose from, it might be Mark Finchem.

Unindicted co-conspirator #4 is a Trump campaign atty who didn't get indicted (like Eastman, Ellis, Giuliani and Bobb), but wrote memos. That is likely Kenneth Chesebro, who had been extensively interviewed by AZ AG's office.

Unindicted co-conspirator #5 is an Arizona attorney who worked for the Trump campaign and unsuccessfully filed suit against the (legitimately elected) Democratic electors (along with the state and Maricopa County). That would be either local attorney Dennis Wilenchik or his son Jack. (Here are Jack's comments to Arizona's Law back in December 2020.

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