In a dramatic turn of events, prominent attorney John Eastman has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery in his alleged involvement in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona. Eastman, who devised a strategy to persuade Congress not to certify the election, is the first person to be arraigned in Arizona's fake elector case.

Speaking briefly outside the courthouse, Eastman expressed his belief that the charges against him should have never been filed. He vehemently denied any communications with the electors in Arizona or any involvement in election litigation or legislative hearings in the state. Eastman remained confident that he would be fully exonerated with the application of the law and declined to provide further comment.

Arraignments for 12 other individuals charged in the case, including nine Republicans who submitted a false document to Congress declaring Trump's victory in Arizona, are scheduled for May 21. The indictment against Eastman accused him of encouraging GOP electors to cast their votes in December 2020, pressuring state lawmakers to change the election outcome, and interacting with then-Vice President Mike Pence regarding the rejection of Democratic electors during the counting of electoral votes in Congress on January 6, 2021.

Notably, former President Donald Trump himself has not been charged in the Arizona case, but is referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator. While charges against Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Trump-aligned attorney, have not been made public, he is readily identifiable based on descriptions in the indictment. Authorities in Arizona have been unable to serve Giuliani with the notice of charges.

Mark Meadows, former chief of staff to Trump, is scheduled to be arraigned on June 7. It is worth mentioning that Eastman was previously indicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges in Georgia for his alleged role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election there. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. Furthermore, Eastman is also named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal indictment against Trump in Washington, which alleges efforts to overturn the 2020 election results before the violent Capitol riot.

Arizona becomes the fourth state where allies of the former president have faced charges related to false or unproven voter fraud claims in connection with the election. The 11 individuals nominated as Arizona's Republican electors had met in Phoenix on December 14, 2020, and signed a certificate falsely claiming Trump's victory in the state. Videos of the signing ceremony were shared on social media, but the document was ignored by Congress and the National Archives.

It is important to note that President Joe Biden won Arizona by a margin of over 10,000 votes. Among the eight lawsuits that unsuccessfully contested Biden's victory in the state, one was filed by the 11 fake electors who sought to de-certify the results and block the state from sending the results to the Electoral College. The case was dismissed due to a lack of factual support for the claims made by the Republicans. Shortly after the dismissal, the 11 individuals participated in the certificate signing.

Efforts to serve Giuliani with the notice of charges have been unsuccessful, with attempts made in person and through phone calls. Richie Taylor, spokesperson for Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, stated that a doorman at Giuliani's New York City apartment refused to accept the notice.

The case against Eastman and others involved in the Arizona election fraud allegations continues to unfold, with arraignments, investigations, and legal proceedings set to shed more light on the events surrounding the 2020 election.