Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that 16 people who signed paperwork falsely claiming that Donald Trump won the state in the 2020 election are being charged with crimes.
The Story: Since U.S. presidents are voted by slates of electors from each state, Trump and his allies have been accused of setting up fake slates of electors in several states.
- “That was a lie. They weren’t the duly elected and qualified electors, and each of the defendants knew it,” Nessel said in recorded remarks.
- Nessel said some of those electors attempted to deliver these false documents to the state Senate, but were turned away.
- Some of those 16 electors included Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock and state Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden.
Going deeper: The news came just hours after Trump said he is the target of the January 6 investigation by the Justice Department.
- The letter was sent to Trump’s legal team over the last few days, a sign another indictment of the former president could be imminent.
- Investigators have also spoken to several witnesses, wanting details on Trump’s actions and his state of mind in the days leading up to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
