A group of individuals in Michigan who were charged with falsely certifying President Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 election had their criminal charges dismissed by a judge on Tuesday. This decision dealt a significant setback to prosecutors, as similar cases in other states have faced setbacks as well.
District Court Judge Kristen D. Simmons announced during a court hearing that the 15 Republicans accused would not stand trial. The case has been ongoing for over two years since Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, first announced the charges.
Judge Simmons stated that she did not see any fraudulent intent in the defendants’ actions. She noted that regardless of whether they were right or wrong, they genuinely believed there were election irregularities and were exercising their constitutional right to seek redress.
Each member of the group, which included prominent figures in the Michigan Republican Party, faced charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The most serious charges carried a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
After the judge’s decision to dismiss the cases, supporters, friends, and family members outside the courtroom celebrated, while defendants leaving the courtroom embraced and shed tears of relief. One woman emotionally expressed, “We did it.”
The accused individuals were alleged to have met at the Michigan GOP headquarters in December 2020 and signed a document falsely claiming to be the state’s legitimate electors for President Trump. However, President Joe Biden won Michigan by a significant margin, a fact confirmed by a state Senate investigation in 2021.
One man involved in the case had his charges dropped after agreeing to cooperate with the state attorney general’s office in October 2023. The remaining defendants pleaded not guilty and maintained that their actions were lawful.
Meshawn Maddock, a prominent Michigan MAGA activist and former Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair, was among those charged. Her attorney criticized the case as a waste of resources and accused the attorney general’s office of malicious prosecution.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel expressed disappointment with Judge Simmons’ ruling, emphasizing that the group members were aware that their actions were not in alignment with proper election procedures and were aimed at circumventing the rules.
In other states such as Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona, prosecutors have also filed criminal charges related to fake electors schemes. These cases have faced delays at various stages, with some yet to reach trial due to procedural and appellate challenges.
Overall, the effort to establish fake electors played a crucial role in the federal indictment against Trump, which was dropped earlier this year before his second term commenced.