Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday addressed the indictment against him as he prepared to surrender in Atlanta, Georgia.
Giuliani is preparing to surrender to Fulton County Jail in connection with a 13-count indictment accusing him and 18 others, including former President Donald Trump, of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state. The charges include racketeering, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, and conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree.
Giuliani warned reporters that government prosecutors, whom he deemed “enemies of our republic,” are preparing to come after Americans who support Trump. He argued both he and Trump have been proven innocent and said they are fighting for “sacred rights” to counsel.
“I’m going to Georgia and I’m feeling very, very good about it, because I feel like I’m defending the rights of all Americans, like I did so many times as a United States attorney,” Giuliani began. “People like to say I’m different. I’m the same Rudy Giuliani that took down the mafia, that made New York City the safest city in America, reduced crime more than any mayor in the history of any city anywhere, and I’m fighting for justice. I have been since the first moment I represented Donald Trump, an innocent man who has now been proven innocent several times. I don’t know how many times he has to be proven innocent, and they have to be proven to be liars — actually, enemies of our Republic, who are destroying rights, sacred rights.”
“Who are destroying my right to counsel, my right to be a lawyer,” he continued. “They’re destroying [Trump’s] right to counsel. It’s not accidental that they indicted all of the lawyers. I’ve never heard of that before in America: all the lawyers indicted. Now, whether you dislike or you like Donald Trump, let me give you a warning: They’re gonna come for you.”
Giuliani further called on the public to “pray” that Republicans are “more honest, more trustworthy and more American” than the prosecutors charging Trump and his allies. (RELATED: Attorney Says There’s ‘No Surprise’ Amid Allegations Rudy Giuliani Asked Trump For Help With Legal Fees)
“If our government is conducted this way, and the system of justice is politicized and criminalized for politics, your rights are in jeopardy, and your children’s. Donald Trump told you this. They weren’t just coming for him, or me. Now they’ve indicted people in this case, I don’t even know who they are. These are just regular people making a normal living. They’re gonna bankrupt them. They won’t convict them.”
Giuliani had been serving as Trump’s lawyer at the time of the 2020 election. The former mayor is charged for his claims of election fraud in multiple meetings with Georgia officials in December 2020, according to the indictment. He alleged the mail-in ballots were incorrectly counted, accused election officials of stealing votes and claimed felons and dead voters were casting ballots, according to the indictment.
Giuliani is also accused of urging elected officials in Georgia to replace presidential electors for President Joe Biden with those supporting Trump, according to the indictment.
Georgia prosecutors allegedly obtained text messages and emails that purportedly showed Giuliani and other officials in Trump’s legal team collaborating to find evidence of voter fraud and overturn the results. Attorney Katherine Friess, who was in contact with Trump’s legal team, allegedly contacted elected operatives to breach the voting systems in Coffee County.