‘Constitutional Right’: Judge Shuts Down Michigan 2020 ‘Fake Electors’ Case

A Michigan judge on Tuesday threw out charges against 15 people accused of acting as “fake electors” for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel brought charges in 2023 against 16 people for allegedly attempting to act as electors in the Electoral College and cast electoral votes for Trump, despite former President Joe Biden winning the popular vote in the state. However, District Court Judge Kristen Simmons ruled on Tuesday that there was insufficient evidence to prove the defendants acted with criminal intent, according to multiple outlets.

“This is not an election interference case,” Simmons said during a hearing Tuesday, according to ABC News.

“I believe that they were executing their constitutional right to seek redress, and that’s based on the statements of all of the people’s witnesses,” the judge added. “There’s many things that could cause a pause in the electoral process, and it doesn’t mean that it’s criminal.”

The charges were tied to a December 2020 meeting where members of the group — including several top Republican officials in the state — allegedly signed documents claiming they were members of the Electoral College and tried to cast votes for Trump.

All 16 defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, but one individual had the charges against him