The Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has brought forth felony charges against 16 Republicans who signed a certificate falsely asserting that former US President Donald Trump won Michigan’s 2020 presidential election. These charges mark the initiation of criminal cases against prominent figures within the state GOP.
Among the individuals facing charges are Meshawn Maddock, former Co-Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, and Stan Grot, Shelby Township Clerk. Nessel’s office has charged each of the 16 electors with eight felony counts, including forgery and conspiracy to commit election law forgery.
The unveiling of these charges comes after a six-month investigation and brings the most severe allegations to light in Michigan concerning the campaign to overturn Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Despite Biden’s victory by 154,000 votes or a 3% margin in the state, Trump and his supporters perpetuated false and unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.
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As part of their efforts to undermine Biden’s win, Trump supporters convened at the former Michigan Republican Party headquarters on December 14, 2020, and signed a certificate claiming Michigan’s 16 electoral votes for Trump.
Subsequently, the fraudulent certificate was sent to the National Archives and Congress, falsely asserting that the Trump electors had gathered inside the Michigan Capitol. However, this was not the case as Biden’s electors convened in the Capitol, which was closed to others on that day.
Nessel, a Democrat, stated, “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.” She emphasized the obligation to act upon overwhelming evidence of an organized effort to subvert the legally cast ballots of millions of Michigan voters in a presidential election.
The 16 defendants are as follows:
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- Kathy Berden, 70, of Snover
- William (Hank) Choate, 72, of Cement City
- Amy Facchinello, 55, of Grand Blanc
- Clifford Frost, 75, of Warren
- Stanley Grot, 71, of Shelby Township
- John Haggard, 82, of Charlevoix
- Mari-Ann Henry, 65, of Brighton
- Timothy King, 56, of Ypsilanti
- Michele Lundgren, 73, of Detroit
- Meshawn Maddock, 55, of Milford
- James Renner, 76, of Lansing
- Mayra Rodriguez, 64, of Grosse Pointe Farms
- Rose Rook, 81, of Paw Paw
- Marian Sheridan, 69, of West Bloomfield
- Ken Thompson, 68, of Orleans
- Kent Vanderwood, 69, of Wyoming
Republican critics of the charges, including Vance Patrick, Chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party, argue that they are politically motivated. Patrick described the charges as an overreach by Nessel and condemned them as part of a pattern of politically motivated witch hunts against Republican candidates and activists.
Meanwhile, Democrats, such as Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, have lauded the charges, viewing them as a step towards accountability and justice for those involved in attempting to subvert the will of the people in the 2020 election.
“Strong case”
Legal experts hold varying opinions on the charges. Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame Law School, expressed skepticism about the indictment but noted the need for time to gather thoughts.
Law professor Ryan Goodman from New York University School of Law deemed the charges a “strong case”, highlighting the false statements made in the Trump electors’ document regarding convening and organizing in the State Capitol.
In his Twitter thread, Goodman noted that one of the key motivations behind falsely claiming the State Capitol as the meeting location was Michigan law’s requirement for proper certification. Kenneth Chesebro, a member of the Trump campaign who has been referred to the Department of Justice by the January 6 Select Committee, had previously identified this requirement as a potential problem in a secret memo.
The investigation further uncovered that the false electors had acted with great secrecy. Initially, they planned to hide in the Capitol building overnight, as revealed in the congressional testimony of Former Michigan GOP Chair Laura Cox. They were explicitly instructed not to bring cell phones when they gathered in the GOP headquarters basement, according to Mayra Rodriguez’s testimony.
Additional incriminating evidence surfaced through a Michigan Special Agent Affidavit, which included recovered text messages indicating the false electors’ agreement to keep quiet about their actions.
Cox and her legal team objected to the false electors’ plan, offering alternative language that would have avoided legal trouble. However, their proposals were rejected. Cox provided her testimony before the January 6th committee investigators, shedding further light on the events.
The 16 false electors did not act alone, said Goodman. Testimonies from congressional hearings revealed that Trump Campaign officials were present in the room when the false certification occurred.
Moreover, emails obtained during the investigation indicated that officials connected to the Trump campaign were aware of the plans concerning Michigan, based on a Detroit News report. According to two anonymous Republican sources, the idea of deploying electors was actively promoted by the Trump campaign.
Maddock, co-chair of the Michigan GOP and one of the false electors, made a revealing statement at a public event recorded by CNN, stating, “We fought to seat the electors. The Trump campaign asked us to do that.”
Addressing potential concerns about the charges being politically motivated, Nessel emphasized the overwhelming evidence of guilt in multiple crimes related to election fraud. In her statement, she cited various previous election law cases prosecuted by her department, involving offenses such as completing absentee ballot applications for residents who had not requested one, forging signatures on absentee ballot envelopes, tampering with ballot canisters, and falsifying entries in the voter database.
“Undoubtedly, there will be those who will claim these charges are political in nature. But where there is overwhelming evidence of guilt in respect to multiple crimes, the most political act I could engage in as a
prosecutor would be to take no action at all,” Nessel said.
The felony complaints were signed last week, and the warrants for each of the electors have been issued. Apart from Maddock and Grot, Kathy Berden, the Republican National Committeewoman from Michigan; Kent Vanderwood, Mayor of Wyoming; and Marian Sheridan, Grassroots Vice Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, also face charges.
Each of the 16 electors is charged with eight felonies, including election law forgery, forgery, uttering and publishing, and various conspiracy charges. The most serious charges of conspiracy to commit forgery and conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
In response to the charges, one of the Trump electors, John Haggard, expressed surprise, stating that he had not been previously informed about the felony charges. Haggard initially believed the charges were coming from federal prosecutors rather than the state attorney general.
Michele Lundgren, another one of the 16 electors, voiced distress over the charges and questioned the evidence held by prosecutors. Lundgren, a 73-year-old from Detroit, stated that she was called to Lansing on December 13, 2020, and signed what she believed to be a sign-in sheet.
Nessel’s office has confirmed that the charges have been communicated to each defendant or their attorneys. The court will subsequently schedule arraignments for all individuals involved. The investigation remains ongoing, and the Michigan Department of Attorney General has not ruled out the possibility of additional charges against other defendants.
Information for this briefing was found via Detroit News and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
