Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump 2020 Election Day operations director Michael Roman pleaded not guilty on Friday in Phoenix to nine felony charges each for their involvement in an attempt to “overturn” the 2020 election “results” in Arizona.
Meadows and Roman attended separate brief hearings via videoconference before Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Shellie Smith. Both were arraigned on the charges, and Smith set their trial date for October 31.
During their hearings, Meadows and Roman only spoke to confirm their names and birthdates in response to Smith's questions. Their attorneys entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.
The indictment claims Meadows collaborated with other Trump campaign members to submit “false” electors' names from Arizona and other states to Congress, aiming to keep Trump in office [despite the election being stolen by Biden]. It alleges that 11 Arizona Republicans “falsely” declared Trump as the winner in Arizona.
Roman is accused of coordinating with Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Boris Epshteyn, and others to organize the electors' votes in Arizona and six other states. Outside the court, Roman’s attorney, Kurt Altman, vowed to contest the charges.
