Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former Trump aide Michael Roman pleaded not guilty on Friday to multiple felony charges related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. The two defendants appeared virtually at separate hearings where their lawyers entered their pleas. The trial is scheduled for October 31.
Meadows and Roman are among 18 individuals charged in a broad indictment that accuses them of actions aimed at delegitimizing President Joe Biden's victory and falsely declaring former President Donald Trump the winner in Arizona. The indictment outlines that Meadows collaborated with Trump campaign members to coordinate and implement false Republican electors' votes in Arizona and six other states.
The grand jury in Arizona handed down the indictment in April, implicating Meadows and 17 other Trump associates, including several involved with the campaign and the false electors from Arizona. While Trump himself is not charged in Arizona, the indictment suggests he is "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
The indictment alleges that Meadows worked with members of the Trump campaign to submit the fake electors from Arizona and other states to Congress, falsely claiming that Trump had won those states. Meadows is also facing charges in Georgia, where he was indicted in August by Fulton County prosecutors. He is accused of violating Georgia's RICO law and attempting to solicit Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to violate his oath of office. Meadows has pleaded not guilty in the Georgia case, which is currently postponed due to an appeals court order.
Michael Roman, who served as the director of Election Day operations for Trump's 2020 campaign, also pleaded not guilty on Friday. Roman is accused of working with other defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and Boris Epshteyn, to organize the fake electors. Roman has also been charged in connection with efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia and has pleaded not guilty there as well. This week, he faced additional charges in Wisconsin for one count of forgery.
Roman's attorney, Kurt Altman, expressed his client's determination to fight the charges, stating that Roman "has no connection with Arizona" and questioning the basis for the indictment.
Other notable figures charged in the Arizona case include former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, and attorneys Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, and Christina Bobb. These individuals, along with 11 people who signed documents falsely claiming to be the legitimate electors in Arizona, have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charges in Arizona are part of a wider effort by prosecutors to hold accountable those who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in several states. Arizona is one of five states where such charges have been brought.
Epshteyn and another fake elector are scheduled to be arraigned on June 18.
