Michigan Charges Fake Electors Who Tried To Overturn 2020 Election
Topline
Sixteen people in Michigan who pretended to be electors in the 2020 presidential election and falsely claimed former President Donald Trump won the state have been criminally charged, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday, marking the first time a slate of fake 2020 electors have been criminally charged.
Key Facts
Among those charged are Kathy Berden, a member of the Republican National Committee, Meshawn Maddock, the former co-chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and Marian Sheridan, grassroots vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.
Each was charged with two counts of forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, one count of uttering and publishing, one count of conspiracy to commit election law forgery and two counts of election law forgery.
These 16 people allegedly met covertly in the basement of the Michigan Republican Party headquarters on December 14, 2020 in the wake of the 2020 election, where they signed documents falsely stating they were the “duly elected and qualified electors for President and Vice President of the United States of America for the State of Michigan,” according to the attorney general’s office.
They then used these false documents in “a coordinated effort to award the state’s electoral votes to the candidate of their choosing, in place of the candidates actually elected by the people of Michigan,” the attorney general’s office continued.
Big Number
85. That’s the maximum number of years each defendant could face if they are found guilty on all charges. That’s 14 years for each of the two forgery charges, 14 years for the conspiracy to commit forgery charge, 14 years for the conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing charge, 14 years for the uttering and publishing charge, 5 years for the conspiracy to commit election law forgery charge and 5 years for each of the two election law forgery charges.
Crucial Quote
In a statement, Nessel said: “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.”
Key Background
After President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election, Trump and his allies, falsely and without evidence, claimed the election was fraudulent and pursued an unprecedented campaign to overturn the election. One of the many efforts to overturn the election included the plot in Michigan. There were also similar plots in Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to send fake electors to overturn the elections in those states. The Department of Justice has since launched an investigation into all these fake electors. Tuesday’s announcement is one of several steps various law enforcement agencies and officials have taken to hold Trump and his allies accountable for their actions in the wake of the 2020 election, which includes a Justice Department investigation of Trump’s role in the January 6 storming of the Capitol.
News Peg
Trump said Tuesday that Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith sent him a letter informing him that he is a “target” in the January 6 investigation.
What To Watch For
Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis’ office has been investigating Trump calling and pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to “find” enough votes for Trump to win the state. Willis has said she expects charges to be announced this summer. Additionally, more than 1,000 people have been arrested for their role in the January 6 riots, with more than 250 defendants sentenced to jail or prison and over 100 sentenced to a period of home detention, according to Politico.
