A Michigan judge on Tuesday dismissed all charges against Republicans who claimed to be presidential electors for President Donald Trump in 2020, ruling prosecutors failed to show they intended to defraud anyone.
The decision delivers a victory to Trump and his allies and marks a setback for Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel, who brought the case, as well as for those calling for accountability over false claims about the 2020 election.
"This is a fraud case, and (you) have to prove intent," 54-A District Court Judge Kristen Simmons said from the bench, reported The Washington Post. "I don't believe that there's evidence sufficient to prove intent."
In July 2023, Nessel charged 16 Republicans with eight felony counts each, including forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, and election law forgery.
Prosecutors alleged the group signed documents falsely claiming to be Michigan's duly chosen electors for Trump, even though he lost the state to former President Joe Biden.
A month after the election, Trump supporters gathered in Michigan and other battleground states to sign paperwork asserting they were legitimate electors. The documents were forwarded to the National Archives and cited in arguments that Congress should either certify Trump as the winner or delay certification while results were reviewed.
Those claims became part of the push that fueled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
One of the defendants, James Renner, reached a cooperation deal with prosecutors in 2023, leading to his charges being dropped. The remaining 15 Republicans pleaded not guilty, and their cases dragged on through multiple hearings before Simmons' ruling, Tuesday.
The judge concluded the Republicans "seriously believed" they were acting within their rights, even if mistaken.
The Michigan case was one of several brought by state prosecutors against Republicans involved in the so-called fake elector scheme. Similar cases in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin have faced procedural hurdles and delays, with mixed outcomes.
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