Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has criminally charged 16 individuals, known as “fake electors,” for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent attempt to reverse President Joe Biden’s victory in the state’s 2020 election. The charges include conspiracy, election law forgery, and uttering and publishing. Nessel described the plan as “an effort to undermine democracy.” Several of the accused are active in Republican politics.
This is the first time that members of fake Electoral College slates for former President Donald Trump have faced criminal charges. The defendants met covertly in the basement of the state GOP headquarters on December 14, 2020, after Biden defeated Trump by over 154,000 votes in Michigan. They signed documents claiming to be the legally qualified electors for the state in the Electoral College, although Nessel stated that they “weren’t the duly elected and qualified electors, and each of the defendants knew it.”
The defendants then attempted to deliver their fabricated electoral votes to the Senate floor at the state Capitol but were turned away. The bogus electoral documents were later sent to the U.S. Senate and National Archives with the intent that Vice President Mike Pence would overturn the election results using the false electoral slate.
Among the defendants are Kathy Berden, Rose Rook, Mayra Rodriguez, William “Hank” Choate, Meshawn Maddock, Mari-Ann Henry, John Haggard, Clifford Frost, Kent Vanderwood, Stanley Grot, Marian Sheridan, Timothy King, James Renner, Michel Lundgren, Amy Facchinello, and Ken Thompson. If convicted, they could face maximum prison sentences of up to 14 years.
Nessel’s announcement came after former President Trump revealed that he is a target in a federal criminal probe led by special counsel Jack Smith. The investigation focuses on attempts to overturn the election results, including the use of fake Electoral College slates. The charges against the fake electors in Michigan mark a significant development in the ongoing investigations into efforts to undo Biden’s victory.
The case also highlights the continued controversy surrounding the 2020 election and false claims made by Trump and his allies of widespread ballot fraud. The attempted use of alternate electors’ slates was not limited to Michigan but also included Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Additionally, Vice President Pence refused to accept the then-president’s electors in states won by Biden during the certification process on January 6, 2021, leading to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Trump.
Nessel emphasized that there was no legal authority for the fake electors to act as “duly elected presidential electors” and execute the false electoral documents. As the investigation continues, she has not ruled out potential criminal charges against additional defendants.
Similar investigations have been taking place in other states. In Georgia, all 16 people who acted as fake electors are targets of an Atlanta prosecutor’s criminal probe. At least half of them have reached immunity deals in May with the prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Michigan’s 16 Electoral College votes played a vital role in providing Biden with his margin of victory over Trump. The Electoral College, not the popular vote, determines the winners of presidential elections. The criminal charges against the fake electors in Michigan serve as a reminder of the importance of upholding the integrity of the electoral process and safeguarding the democratic principles on which the nation is built.