Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, has filed charges against sixteen individuals referred to as “fake electors” for their role in attempting to overturn the presidential election in the state for Donald Trump. According to CNN, these individuals signed certificates falsely claiming that former President Donald Trump had won Michigan and were prepared to cast their electoral votes for him, despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state by a margin of over 150,000 votes.
Attorney General Nessel held a press conference to announce the charges, stating that the defendants allegedly met secretly in the basement of the Michigan Republican Party headquarters on December 14, where they signed multiple certificates claiming to be the duly elected and qualified electors for the state. Nessel emphasized that this was a falsehood, and each defendant was aware of it. She further asserted that their actions aimed to manipulate the electoral votes, diverting them to their preferred candidate rather than the one chosen by Michigan voters.
In a press release, Nessel’s office detailed the charges against the accused individuals. They include counts of conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, uttering and publishing, conspiracy to commit election law forgery, and election law forgery. Nessel stressed the significance of prosecuting these cases, as the actions of the fake electors not only undermined public trust in the electoral process but also violated Michigan’s election laws.
Nessel’s office also laid out the charges and listed the accused in a press release on Tuesday evening. “The false electors’ actions undermined the public’s faith in the integrity of our elections and, we believe, also plainly violated the laws by which we administer our elections in Michigan,” said Nessel, adding:
My department has prosecuted numerous cases of election law violations throughout my tenure, and it would be malfeasance of the greatest magnitude if my department failed to act here in the face of overwhelming evidence of an organized effort to circumvent the lawfully cast ballots of millions of Michigan voters in a presidential election.
The statement also list what each defendant has been charged with:
One count of Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, a 14-year felony,
Two counts of Forgery, a 14-year felony,
One count of Conspiracy to Commit Uttering and Publishing, a 14-year felony,
One count of Uttering and Publishing, a 14-year felony,
One count of Conspiracy to Commit Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony, and,
Two counts of Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony.
During the tenure of @MIAttyGen @dananessel, the Michigan Department of Attorney General has investigated and sought the prosecutions of multiple election law violations. Read more ➡️ https://t.co/ODhkAQfXNP /3 pic.twitter.com/7pnewvkrIN
— Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) July 18, 2023
