A Michigan prosecutor testified Thursday that former President Trump and campaign officials contributed to a plot to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
Howard Schock, a special agent with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, said Trump was an unindicted co-conspirator in the investigation into the scheme, which resulted in the indictment of 16 Michigan Republican Party officials.
In the plan, prosecutors say the Trump campaign and allies worked with local Republicans to try to overturn the state’s 2020 election results by submitting a list of fraudulent electoral votes. claims.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and Kenneth Chessebro are also considered co-conspirators in the unindicted case, Schock testified.
After dropping charges against one defendant who assisted in the investigation, prosecutors are proceeding with criminal charges against 15 people who participated in the plan. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Wednesday’s hearing was part of a preliminary investigation into whether the case could proceed to trial. The public hearing is scheduled to conclude in June.
Some lawyers for Michigan’s “fake electors” claim they were tricked into signing fake election documents by Trump campaign officials.
President Trump already faces similar charges for his role in a plot to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. The lawsuit, which includes charges against Meadows, Giuliani, Ellis and Chesebro, is scheduled to go to trial this fall.
Mr. Giuliani’s lawyer, Ted Goodman, denounced claims that Mr. Giuliani participated in the scheme.
“The continued weaponization of our justice system should concern all Michiganders and Americans. This is an affront to American democracy and will cause permanent and irreparable damage to the country. Goodman said in a statement, adding that Giuliani had only expressed “legitimate concerns” about the outcome of the 2020 election.
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
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