In a state courthouse in Phoenix, attorney John Eastman pleaded not guilty on Friday in the Arizona case charging him and other allies of former President Donald Trump with crimes related to their attempt to overturn Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election in the state. Eastman is the first of 18 defendants to be arraigned in this case, which has captured national attention.

The indictment, brought forth by an Arizona grand jury last month, alleges that in December 2020, 11 Trump supporters claimed to be Arizona's electors to the Electoral College and aimed to cast their ballots for Trump, despite Biden's victory in the state. While Trump himself is not charged in the indictment, he is referred to as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."

Speaking outside the courthouse, Eastman expressed his belief that the charges should never have been brought against him. He adamantly asserted his innocence, stating, "I had zero communications with the electors in Arizona, zero involvement in any of the election litigation in Arizona or legislative hearings." Eastman further expressed confidence that he will be "fully exonerated at the end of this process" when the laws are faithfully applied.

Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff, and Rudy Giuliani, former Trump lawyer, are among the other defendants indicted in the case. The arraignments of these and other defendants are scheduled for the coming weeks. Additionally, Eastman, Meadows, Giuliani, and more than a dozen others, including Trump, are separately facing charges related to their actions in Georgia in an attempt to undo Trump's 2020 defeat in that state.

It's worth noting that in March, a California judge recommended disbarment for John Eastman in that state due to his involvement in acts related to the aftermath of the 2020 election, including a plan to have then-Vice President Mike Pence refuse to certify Electoral College votes for Biden from several swing states that Trump had lost.

The Arizona "fake electors" case is expected to unfold in the coming months, with all defendants facing the scrutiny of the legal process. As the nation watches closely, the outcome of these proceedings will have significant implications for the ongoing debate surrounding the legitimacy of the 2020 election results.