Michigan: 16 Charged in Alleged Trump Electors Scheme

Facts

• Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel has charged 16 individuals for their part in an alleged plot to submit fraudulent electoral votes in the 2020 election which purported that former Pres. Donald Trump had won the state. They're the first to face charges for fake elector plots.¹
• The individuals are charged with eight felony counts each, which include two counts of forgery, two counts of election law forgery, one count of publishing a counterfeit record, and several charges of conspiracy. The accused include current and former state GOP officials and a sitting mayor.²
• According to Nessel, the individuals convened on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign "multiple certificates" proclaiming Trump to be the winner of Michigan. The fraudulent votes were then transmitted to the National Archives in Washington, DC.³
• Fraudulent electors in several states allegedly attempted to submit forged electoral votes to pressure then-Vice Pres. Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election.⁴
• Nessel says the accused committed an illegal act when they purported to be the "duly elected and qualified electors" of Michigan, while the defendants have in turn accused her of pursuing politically motivated charges. Similar state and federal investigations are ongoing in Georgia and Arizona.⁵
• Alleged efforts to alter the outcome of the 2020 election are being investigated by the US Dept. of Justice. special counsel Jack Smith, who is actively investigating Trump and the fake elector plots.⁴

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²CNN, ³The Guardian, ⁴CNBC, and ⁵New York Times.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The New York Times. The legal charges against the fake electors are measured and airtight, and go to show that attempts to interfere with the democratic process will not be taken lightly. All of those charged were fully aware that they were doing something illegal, and the charges now open the door for indictments in other states. The charges targeting the "small fish" will clear the way for charges against high-level Trump allies or even the former president himself. The legal blowback from Trump's scheme is only just beginning.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Restoring America. No one can talk about conspiracies involving the 2020 election without talking about the real attempts to undermine the Trump campaign through media and political interference. Collusion between social media platforms and the intelligence community buried the damning Hunter Biden laptop story and impeded investigations, potentially swinging the election. Democrat-led plots had a real impact on the outcome of the election.

Predictions