'Partygoers started screaming': Giuliani served with indictment during his birthday party
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was officially served with a felony indictment on Friday night for allegedly interfering in Arizona's 2020 presidential election. Officials with the office of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes served Giuliani in front of nearly 100 guests at his 80th birthday celebration in the Palm Beach, Florida area.
The New York Post reported early Saturday morning that the former personal attorney to Donald Trump was in high spirits when he was served around 11 PM on Friday at the Lake Clarke Shores home of GOP consultant Caroline Wren. Prior to being served with felony indictment paperwork, Giuliani reportedly "belted" the song "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra in front of what the Post said was between 80 and 100 guests. Some of the more high-profile attendees of the party were longtime Trump aide Roger Stone and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
"Some partygoers started screaming and one woman even cried as Giuliani was served," the Post's Lydia Moynihan wrote.
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In a statement to the Post, Wren questioned whether it was "a good use of resources to send multiple agents across the country to storm an 80th birthday party like it was Normandy." Ted Goodman, whom the Post described as a "political advisor" to Giuliani, said it was "unfortunate that they chose to barge up and startle guests during a celebration of this man’s 80th birthday."
"They could’ve shown a little more respect for the man who comforted the nation following September 11th and who stands up for law enforcement and the men and women in blue," Goodman said of the man who taunted authorities in a now-deleted tweet.
AG Mayes confirmed Giuliani was served in a tweet sent from her official X account, writing "the final defendant was served moments ago." She quote-tweeted a post Giuliani since deleted in which he wrote, "If Arizona authorities can't find me by tomorrow morning 1. They must dismiss the indictment; 2. They must concede they can't count votes." Mayes posted a screenshot of the tweet after it was deleted.
Despite the raucous affair, Giuliani reportedly "got in his car and left" after he was served. Journalist Rachel Louise Just tweeted that "guests had just finished singing 'happy birthday' when agents served him paperwork on AZ fake elector charges."
Giuliani's indictment is in relation to Mayes' investigation of the so-called "fake electors plot" in Arizona, in which Giuliani and several other Trump associates are accused of attempting to overturn election results in the Grand Canyon State. In addition to Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was also indicted, along with former Trump attorneys John Eastman and Jenna Ellis.
All 18 co-defendants — which include Arizona GOP activists Tyler Bowyer, Nancy Cottle, Jacob Hoffman, Anthony Kern, James Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, Lorraine Pellegrino and Gregory Safsten — have been indicted on the same felony counts. Investigators have charged defendants with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices (the most serious count) and fraudulent schemes and practices. All co-defendants have also been charged with felony forgery.
Click here to read the Post's report in full.