Former Trump aides Mark Meadows, Mike Roman plead not guilty in Arizona fake electors case

Two former top Trump aides pleaded not guilty in Maricopa County court Friday morning for their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.

Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump's former chief of staff, and Mike Roman, who was Trump’s director of Election Day operations, appeared virtually in court and entered a plea of not guilty on nine felony charges that include fraud, forgery and conspiracy.

Both Meadows and Roman were charged in a similar case in Georgia to which they also pleaded not guilty.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in April announced charges against 11 named alleged fake electors and seven people whose names are redacted in the filing for their alleged role in efforts to subvert Joe Biden's 2020 victory in the state.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern and several others charged in the case pleaded not guilty in Maricopa County court in May.

Arizona is one of four states pursuing election interference charges related to the 2020 election. This week, Wisconsin became the most recent state to bring such charges, charging three former Trump associates in connection with the former president's efforts to overturn the election results in the state.

In December, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges against six alleged "fake electors" in that state.

In Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel similarly charged 16 "alternate electors" in July for conspiracy to commit forgery, among other charges.

Three such "fake electors" in Georgia were among the 18 co-defendants charged, along with Trump, in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in that state.