The Daily Populous Tuesday May 21st, 2024 morning edition
Authored by rollingstone.com and submitted by rollingstone

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who played a pivotal role in former President Donald Trump’s schemes to steal the 2020 election, was having a blast evading Arizona law enforcement last week.

According to two people who talked to him about it — including during his 80th birthday bash this past Friday — the former top Trump attorney was absolutely jubilant about his success in dodging being served his indictment in the Grand Canyon State’s sprawling election-subversion case. Right up until Friday, Giuliani had even been soliciting additional ideas from his pals on ways to keep mocking Arizona’s attorney general on social media and on video, the sources add.

Too bad for him that he couldn’t stop posting: As a result, Giuliani was served on Friday leaving his birthday party.

“Our agents traveled to Florida [on Friday]. We knew he was there because of his nightly live video streams at his residence,” Richie Taylor, communications director for the Arizona attorney general office, tells Rolling Stone. “The agents took the opportunity to serve him when he was out at a friend’s nearby house as he left his birthday party … He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, May 21, unless he asks the court for a delay.”

Giuliani was one of several prominent Trump allies who were indicted by an Arizona grand jury last month in connection with their efforts to overturn the election in the state with fake electors who falsely claimed to represent Arizona’s electoral college vote. The probe is the latest in a series of federal and state criminal cases in Georgia, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. that have charged either Trump or his accomplices for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The former New York City mayor took to Twitter on Friday to prematurely celebrate what he believed to be a procedural victory in dodging service of the indictment. “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,” Giuliani posted, alongside a beaming selfie with friends at an 80th birthday party. Editor’s picks

Hours later, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) quoted the post on X, writing that “The final defendant was served moments ago. @RudyGiuliani nobody is above the law.”

Giuliani subsequently deleted his taunting post — so Mayes posted a screenshot.

“The mayor was served after the party and as he was walking to the car,” Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman said in a statement. “He was unfazed and enjoyed an incredible evening with hundreds of people, from all walks of life, who love and respect him for his contributions to society. We look forward to full vindication soon.”

Last year, Giuliani became a prime focus of state investigators, who were grilling potential witnesses about the former Trump lawyer’s Arizona meetings and behind-the-scenes actions as a ringleader in the Trump campaign’s fake electors scheme, as Rolling Stone reported at the time. Trending Tyla Makes South Africa 'Jump' Under the Summer Sun in Video With Gunna and Skillibeng How Kid Rock Went From America's Favorite Hard-Partying Rock Star to a MAGA Mouthpiece Lindsey Graham Chastises Samuel Alito Over Upside-Down Flag Kid Rock Performed 'Cowboy' in the Bed of a 'General Lee' Cybertruck

After the gallery of current and former Trump lieutenants were charged in April and then served their indictment papers, the former New York City mayor was the final holdout. For weeks, Giuliani had been ducking getting served, and Arizona authorities were actively trying to locate him, with at first little success.

“It was so goddamn irritating,” says one Arizona government source. “We knew he’d get served eventually, but it seemed like he was playing these games just because he felt like it.”

zero_blammos_given on May 20th, 2024 at 17:20 UTC »

79-year-old kids these days can't go a minute without posting their crimes online.

RealGianath on May 20th, 2024 at 17:02 UTC »

I wonder if Rudy ever runs things by his own lawyer before doing things like this. I have a strong feeling he doesn't take advice from anybody because he thinks he's invulnerable. He's still riding the 911 mayor wave in his alcohol-fueled head.

picado on May 20th, 2024 at 17:00 UTC »

I doubt Rudy will ever top "Four Seasons Total Landscaping" for hilarious self-ownage, but I'm glad he's still trying.