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Michigan judge dismisses charges against Republicans accused of acting as fake electors for Trump in 2020 [View all]
https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-9-2025Michigan judge dismisses charges against Republicans accused of acting as fake electors for Trump in 2020
Edited By CURTIS YEE, LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA and MICHAEL WARREN
Updated 11:31 AM CDT, September 9, 2025
A Michigan judge dismissed criminal charges Tuesday against a group of Republicans accused of trying to falsely certify President Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 election, saying that because they seriously believed him, there was no intent to commit fraud. The decision is a major blow to prosecutors as similar cases in four other states have been muddied with setbacks.
District Court Judge Kristen D. Simmons said in a court hearing that the 15 Republicans accused will not face trial. The case has dragged through the courts since Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced the charges over two years ago.
Each member of the group, which included a few high-profile members of the Republican Party in Michigan, faced eight charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The top felony charges carried a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
The effort to secure fake electors was central to the federal indictment against Trump that was abandoned earlier this year, shortly before Trump began his second term.
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