LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s attorney general has filed felony charges against 16 Republicans who posed as fake electors for former President Donald Trump in 2020. These individuals are accused of submitting false certificates, affirming their legitimacy as electors despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced on Tuesday that all 16 individuals would face eight criminal charges, including two counts of forgery, which is a 14-year felony. Among the accused are Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden and Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party.
Nessel emphasized the importance of taking action in the face of overwhelming evidence of an organized effort to subvert the legally cast ballots of Michigan voters in a presidential election. She stated, “It would be malfeasance of the greatest magnitude if my department failed to act here.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the charges.
According to the allegations, the group met on December 14, 2020, and signed multiple certificates falsely claiming they were qualified electors for Trump. These fraudulent documents were then sent to the U.S. Senate and National Archives.
In January of last year, Nessel requested federal prosecutors to initiate a criminal investigation into these 16 Republicans.