Rudy Giuliani Getting Served Indictment at 80th Birthday Party Sparks Jokes

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the 18th and final individual indicted in Arizona's fake elector case, was served on Friday at his 80th birthday party, sparking social media users to make jokes about the incident.

Eighteen allies of former President Donald Trump, including Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, were indicted by an Arizona grand jury in late April. The 58-page indictment accuses the individuals of acting as fake electors and working to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results. They face charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. President Joe Biden won the state by 10,457 votes.

In an X, formerly Twitter, post on Friday evening, Giuliani, a former Trump attorney, taunted Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes with a selfie photo with friends at his party and wrote, "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."

The post has since been deleted.

Shortly after, Mayes reposted Giuliani's X post and wrote, "The final defendant was served moments ago. @RudyGiuliani nobody is above the law." She has since attached a screenshot of Giuliani's deleted post. The hand-delivered papers provide Giuliani with the notice of his indictment.

Michael Ragusa, Giuliani's head of security, told Newsweek via email on Saturday afternoon, "Mayor Giuliani would never run from anything or anybody. He is an American hero and a patriot. It is foolish to think he was hiding from getting a subpoena. Every day on his live shows he would announce his location."

Ragusa added that on Friday evening, "a process server waited until he came out of the party around midnight, walked up to him, gave him the subpoena, and the mayor said 'thank you' like a gentleman."

According to the New York Post on Saturday, two officials with the Arizona's attorney general's office arrived at Giuliani's nearly 75-guest birthday party in Palm Beach, Florida, to deliver him the papers.

Ted Goodman, Giuliani's spokesperson, told Newsweek in a statement Sunday, "The mayor was served after the party and as he was walking to the car. 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."

Giuliani was the only defendant prosecutors were unable to serve with a summons, Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Mayes' office, previously said.

Newsweek has reached out to the Arizona attorney's office via email.

Earlier this month, Giuliani was suspended from WABC, a New York radio station, and his show was canceled after owner John Catsimatidis said Giuliani "crossed the line" promoting false information about the 2020 election. Giuliani then responded on X, stating that the station fired him because he "refused to give into their demand that I stop talking about the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election."

Meanwhile, X users cracked jokes at Giuliani on the social media platform on Saturday.

Executive director of the Campaign for New York Health and former congressional candidate, Melanie D'Arrigo, quipped in her Saturday morning X post that "partygoers are only used to watching Rudy Giuliani being over-served at parties."

Internet personality Andrea Junker posted on X Saturday morning, "So while he was celebrating his 80th birthday with Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, and 75 MAGA guests, Rudy Giuliani was finally served with the Arizona indictment for their criminal conspiracy to overturn our 2020 election. — Now that's what I call the definition of sweet karma."

Early Saturday morning, former assistant U.S attorney Richard Signorelli wrote on X, "LOL Happy 80th to this vile alleged criminal who has lost everything in service to a cowardly demented sociopath," in reference to Giuliani's allegiance to Trump.

Scott Charles, a trauma outreach manager at Temple University, reposted a screenshot of Mayes' X post and wrote, "Rudy Giuliani getting served at his 80th birthday party within an hour of taunting Arizona officials in his fake electors case is the most Rudy Giuliani thing ever."

Meanwhile, former Trump lawyer John Eastman is the first person in the Arizona case to appear in court where he pleaded not guilty on Friday. Arraignments for several of the other individuals, including Giuliani, will take place on May 21.

Updated 5/19/24, 1:43 p.m. ET.: This article has been updated to include comment from Goodman.

Updated 5/18/24, 5:21 p.m. ET.: This article has been updated to include comment from Ragusa.