Former Trump lawyer John Eastman pleads not guilty to Arizona 2020 election conspiracy charge

John Eastman, a former lawyer for former President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty on Friday to conspiracy charges in Arizona related to an alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Eastman was among a group of Republicans and allies of Trump who were indicted by an Arizona grand jury on felony conspiracy charges last month. Eastman was also indicted as a codefendant in the Fulton County election case, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged all defendants under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

The former Trump attorney has been accused of plotting for former Vice President Mike Pence to challenge the election results four years ago, and allegedly advised Trump to stop Congress from certifying the election results on Jan. 6, 2021, which he has denied.

“I, of course, plead not guilty,” Eastman told reporters after the hearing, per CNN. “I’m confident that, with the laws faithfully applied, I will be exonerated at the end of this process.”

He has been released from police custody, without any conditions. But each defendant will likely be fingerprinted and have a mugshot taken. Trump has not been indicted in Arizona's case, but some of his allies, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows were.

Eleven pro-Trump Arizona Republicans were also indicted in the case, over signing documents that falsely claimed they were the state's proper electors. The charges mark the end of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes's year-long investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged efforts to award the state’s electoral votes to Trump instead of President Joe Biden.

Arizona is the fourth state to seek criminal charges over the Trump campaign's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Michigan, Georgia, and Nevada are also seeking charges for people who tried to form an alternate slate of electors. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.