Rudy Giuliani, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, is among 18 people charged in Arizona with illegally seeking to claim the state's 2020 electoral votes for the then-US president, in an indictment that names Mr Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The indictment, reached on Tuesday and unsealed last night, stems from the attempt by Mr Trump and his allies to pressure election officials in several states to overturn the presidential election won by Joe Biden, efforts for which Mr Trump has been indicted in Georgia and in federal court.
The court papers list "a former US president," referring to Mr Trump, as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The indictment in Maricopa County Superior Court names 11 defendants and redacts the names of seven others. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release announcing the charges that those names would be made public after all of the defendants had been served with the indictment.
Mr Giuliani is among those whose names are redacted, a spokesperson for him, Ted Goodman, confirmed, criticising the prosecution of the former New York mayor as political.
Another defendant whose name was redacted is described in the indictment as chief of staff in 2020, the position Mark Meadows held in the Trump White House at that time.
Representatives for Mr Meadows did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the indictment.
Mr Trump, Mr Giuliani and Mr Meadows are co-defendants in the Georgia case, where they are charged with a racketeering conspiracy to overturn Mr Biden's victory in that state. They have pleaded not guilty there.
Mr Trump has also pleaded not guilty in the federal election-subversion case in Washington.
Mr Trump, a Republican, says all the cases are a political "witch hunt" to prevent him from defeating Democrat Mr Biden in this year's presidential rematch.
Another defendant whose name is redacted is Mr Trump's lawyer Christina Bobb, Mr Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed, calling the Arizona indictment "another example of Democrats' weaponisation of the legal system."
"Christina Bobb is a former Marine Corps officer, who served our nation and the president with distinction. The Democrat platform for 2024: if you can't beat them, try to throw them in jail," Mr Cheung said.
Mr Goodman also called the Arizona indictment an example of "the continued weaponisation of our justice system," saying it "should concern every American as it does permanent, irrevocable harm to the country".
"Mayor Rudy Giuliani - one of the most effective prosecutors in American history who took down the mafia, cleaned up the streets of New York and locked up corrupt public officials - is proud to stand up for the countless Americans who raised legitimate concerns surrounding the 2020 US Presidential Election," Mr Goodman said.
The indictment alleges the defendants pressured the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, the Arizona Legislature and then-Governor Doug Ducey to change the election results.
US presidents are chosen by electors from each state, who cast votes in the Electoral College, where votes are allotted based on each state's population.
In Arizona and almost all other states, the winner of the state's popular vote receives all of that state's electoral votes. To win the presidency a candidate needs 270 electoral votes - a majority of total 538.
Arizona has 11 electoral votes, and the 11 defendants named in the indictment would correspond to those people who purported to be electors for Mr Trump.
Arizona is one of seven states where Mr Biden won but Mr Trump allies sought to award the electoral votes to Mr Trump.
Many of the races were close. Arizona was decided by little more than 10,000 votes or 0.3% of the ballots cast.
The charges include fraud, forgery and conspiracy, three classes of felony that with a conviction could have sentences ranging from six months to more than 12 years in prison.
Arizona is the fourth US state where participants in the elector scheme have faced criminal charges.
