Michigan Attorney General Announces Felony Charges Against 16 “False Electors”
UPDATE: On Thursday, Aug. 10, nine of the 16 individuals were arraigned on the charges. They all pleaded not guilty.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, July 18, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) announced charges against 16 Michigan residents for their role in a false electors plot to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Following the 2020 election, a slate of false electors in Michigan signed certificates erroneously claiming that former President Donald Trump had won the state of Michigan. In the certificates, the defendants described themselves as being “the duly elected and qualified electors.” Some electors had additionally attempted to deliver the documents to the Michigan Senate, where they were stopped by police. They later sent them to the U.S. Senate and National Archives.
The felony charges announced today were the same for all the defendants and include: Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, Forgery, Conspiracy to Commit Uttering and Publishing, Uttering and Publishing, Conspiracy to Commit Election Law Forgery and Election Law Forgery. “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,” Nessel stated at a press conference earlier today.
Among those charged were former Michigan GOP co-chair, Meshawn Maddock and Shelby Township Clerk, Stan Grot.