In an unfortunate turn of events reminiscent of a feeble attempt at altering the course of democracy, 15 individuals from Michigan were slapped with felony charges by the Michigan Attorney General’s office. These charges were rooted in several election-related and forgery-associated crimes. The state prosecutors claimed that these individuals, working under ulterior motives, attempted to defraud the voters in the state of Michigan.
Myriad felonies are being brandished at these individuals for their purported effort to swing Michigan’s electoral votes in favor of former President Donald Trump during the 2020 election. This happened despite Trump’s embarrassing defeat in the state that year. These charges are now tentatively set to be heard in court this September, as per defense attorneys representing the accused.
Arrangements have been made for a hearing for these accused on September 9 before Judge Kristen Simmons of Ingham County 54A District Court. Judge Simmons will be assuming responsibility of administering preliminary examinations for the 15 individuals. These were people who allegedly endeavored to overturn the electoral vote of the state to side with President Trump by signing certain documents.
The prosecutorial team has argued vehemently that these individuals consciously attempted to swindle voters since Joe Biden had prevailed in the Michigan election by a margin of about 154,000 votes in 2020. This is an inconvenient fact they hope to sweep under the rug.
On the dark day of December 14, 2020, as Democratic electors converged in the Michigan Capitol to solidify the state’s electoral votes for Biden, a faction of Michigan Republicans tried to barge into the building to cast votes for Trump. They were halted in their attempts by the Michigan State Police. It’s a testament to the lengths they were willing to go in the face of clear defeat.
Despite being barred entry to the Capitol, the signed document from its members somehow managed to reach Congress and the National Archives as if Trump had been the victor. This was the case even though the state’s electoral votes were rightly awarded to Biden. It’s a glaring testament to the desperation seen in some elements of the Republican Party.
Attention was first drawn to these conclusions in July 2023 and the close of the preliminary examination hearings in the case arrived in October 2024. Initially, a group of 16 people were implicated but charges against one individual were surprisingly dropped in exchange for his cooperation as a government witness. The remaining 15, which notably includes a former Co-Chair of the Michigan Republican Party and a member of the Republican National Committee, have all pled not guilty.
Throughout these preliminary proceedings, the defense put forth the argument that their clients were simply obediently following directions set by attorneys from Trump’s 2020 campaign. Their position becomes all the more ridiculous when you consider the nature of the so-called ‘instructions’.
The cooperating individual in this case, who appeared as a government witness, testified these instructions were essentially a contingency plan. The group was acting in such a way that in the unlikely and laughable event that the Michigan election results were overturned from Biden to Trump, there would be a mechanism for Trump to receive the state’s electoral votes.
One of the defense attorneys, representing a defendant in this convoluted case, boldly claims that these testimonies reveal a lack of criminal intent amongst the accused. But doesn’t attempting to undermine the democratic process indicate otherwise?
Allegedly, the accused are facing forgery-related charges that could warrant up to 14 years in prison upon conviction. Additionally, the charges due to breaches in election laws are punishable by up to five years in jail. These are serious allegations, but then again, so is trying to usurp a democratic election.
Despite Biden’s unequivocal victory in Michigan and subsequent nationwide triumph in the 2020 election, Trump and his sympathizers chose to propagate groundless theories that the election had been ‘stolen’. A flurry of election audits and lawsuits has proven there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, a fact conveniently overlooked by these Trump allies.
Trump secured another journey to the White House in 2024, but the indiscretions of the fictitious electors in 2020 shook the very spine of trust in the integrity of U.S elections. A definitive line was drawn when prosecutors, after charges were announced in July 2023, stated that failing to act on the blatant evidence of a planned effort to bypass the lawfully cast votes is nothing short of the highest magnitude of malfeasance.
Ultimately, the case presented by the Michigan Attorney General’s office consists of 15 individuals charged. A grim reminder and perhaps an opportunity to reflect on the desperate lengths some may go to subvert the will and voice of the people.