State prosecutors in Michigan have announced criminal charges against 16 Republicans who served as fake electors in the 2020 election, marking a significant moment in the ongoing investigations into the aftermath of the election. These fake electors included local activists who were recruited under the false belief that former President Donald Trump could still secure a second term, as well as well-connected GOP operatives. Among the group are current and former state GOP officials, a Republican National Committee member, a sitting mayor, a school board member, and Trump supporters who were involved in a lawsuit attempting to overturn the election results.
After the 2020 election, some of these individuals claimed they were unaware they were potentially breaking the law by signing the fake certificates, while others continue to propagate the false claim that the election was stolen. The 16 fake electors now face state charges, and CNN has reached out to them for comment.
One of the individuals facing charges is Meshawn Maddock, the former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party and the wife of a GOP member of the Michigan House of Representatives. Maddock previously boasted about the Trump campaign’s involvement in the fake elector scheme. She and her husband spoke at a pro-Trump event in Washington, DC, one day before the January 6, 2021 insurrection, although she was not present at the US Capitol during the attack. Maddock responded to the charges by accusing Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith of constructing a “banana republic” where political opponents are harassed and jailed.
Kathy Berden, a Republican National Committee member representing Michigan, is also among the 16 fake electors facing charges. She previously served as a pro-Trump delegate at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Marian Sheridan, the grassroots vice chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party and a plaintiff in a frivolous lawsuit attempting to overturn the election results, is also implicated.
Other individuals facing charges include Kent Vanderwood, the current mayor of Wyoming, Michigan; Stanley Grot, the Shelby Township clerk; Amy Facchinello, a school board member in Grand Blanc; Mari-Ann Henry, the treasurer of the 7th Congressional District Republican Committee; Michele Lundgren, the 2022 Republican nominee for a Detroit-based seat in the Michigan House of Representatives; Clifford Frost, a realtor and former candidate for the Macomb County Board of Commissioners; John Haggard, a plaintiff in a dismissed lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 results in Michigan; Timothy King, another plaintiff in the dismissed lawsuit; Rose Rook, a member of the executive committee of the Van Buren County Republicans; Mayra Rodriguez, a lawyer facing potential disciplinary proceedings; Hank Choate, a dairy farmer who met with Trump at a White House event; Ken Thompson, who replaced an original elector uncomfortable with the scheme; and James Renner, who was also brought in later in the process to replace an original GOP elector.
The criminal charges against these individuals represent a significant development in the ongoing investigations into the 2020 election. The accusations highlight the extent to which some Trump supporters were willing to go in their efforts to overturn the election results. As the legal proceedings unfold, the consequences for these fake electors may serve as a warning to others who attempt to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
Original Story at localnews8.com – 2023-08-09 18:40:19
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