A Michigan judge on Tuesday dismissed criminal charges against 15 Republicans accused of attempting to certify Donald Trump as the state’s winner in the 2020 election, delivering a significant defeat for prosecutors pursuing fake elector cases nationwide.
District Court Judge Kristen D. Simmons ruled the defendants would not stand trial on forgery and conspiracy charges, which carried potential 14-year prison sentences. Simmons said she found no evidence of intent to commit fraud, noting the defendants “seriously believed” there were election problems and were exercising their constitutional rights.
The charges were first filed in 2023 by Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel. Prosecutors alleged the group met at Michigan GOP headquarters in December 2020 and falsely claimed to be the state’s “duly elected and qualified electors” despite Joe Biden’s 155,000-vote victory.
Among the defendants were former Michigan GOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock and Republican National Committee member Kathy Berden. One additional defendant, James Renner, had earlier agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The dismissal adds to setbacks in similar cases in Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona, which remain bogged down in delays. Trump, along with Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, had been listed as unindicted co-conspirators in the Michigan case.
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