Judge Dismisses Michigan 2020 ‘Fake Electors’ Case as a Constitutional Right

Michigan Judge Dismisses Charges Against “Fake Electors”

A judge in Michigan has dropped charges against 15 individuals accused of acting as “fake electors” for Donald Trump during the 2020 election.

Michigan’s Democratic Attorney General, Dana Nessel, had previously moved forward with legal action despite Trump losing to Joe Biden. In 2023, 16 people were identified as having acted as electors for Trump, even though Biden had secured the state’s electoral votes. During a hearing on Tuesday, District Judge Christan Simmons stated there wasn’t enough evidence to show that these individuals acted with criminal intent, as reported by various sources.

Judge Simmons remarked, “This is not a case of election interference.” He elaborated that the defendants were exercising their constitutional rights and pointed out that certain actions during the election process could create confusion without necessarily constituting a crime.

Amid much public attention, these 16 defendants had all pleaded not guilty to the allegations. However, one individual had opted to cooperate with prosecutors, resulting in the dismissal of charges against them after they engaged with the state attorney general’s office in October 2023.

The judge noted the motivations behind the defendants’ actions, saying that many believed there had been significant fraud in the election process, which contributed to their feeling that their votes were not accurately reflected.

Attorney General Nessel expressed her discontent with the ruling, labeling it a “very wrong decision.” She asserted her responsibility to file charges when there’s sufficient evidence of a crime, indicating that she feels the evidence in this case is compelling.

Prosecutors have options to appeal the judge’s decision, and Nessel mentioned she was contemplating her next steps. Nick Samberg, the lawyer representing one of the defendants, argued that the case lacked any basis for criminality, stating, “There was no counterfeiting, there was no conspiracy. They have maintained their innocence since day one.”