Supporters of former President Donald Trump walked away with a major legal victory in Michigan this week after a judge threw out charges tied to the 2020 election.
On Tuesday, Michigan District Court Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed the case against 15 Republicans who had been accused of trying to declare Trump the rightful winner of the state—even though Joe Biden had already secured the victory.
How It All Started
After Trump’s 2020 loss, a group of his backers gathered in Michigan and signed papers claiming they were officially casting the state’s electoral votes for him.
Those documents were sent to the National Archives and later used as part of the push to block Congress from certifying Biden’s win on January 6, 2021.
Judge’s Surprising Reasoning
What made this ruling stand out is that Simmons, who was appointed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, took the side of the defendants.
She argued the Republicans “seriously believed” there was fraud in the 2020 election and said they were exercising what they thought was a constitutional right.
“Right, wrong, or indifferent,” she wrote, “these individuals and many others in Michigan sincerely believed there were serious irregularities with the election.”
The Charges They Faced
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel had filed multiple criminal charges in 2023 against the group.
These included forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, and election law violations.
Among those charged was Meshawn Maddock, a former co-chair of the Michigan GOP.
Originally, 16 people were indicted, but prosecutors dropped the case against one individual who agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Why the Case Fell Apart
In her ruling, Simmons explained that prosecutors failed to prove the group had the intent—or the sophistication—to pull off such a scheme.
“The prosecution wants me to believe these defendants were savvy enough to fully understand the electoral process,” she wrote, “but the documents they produced didn’t reflect that level of sophistication.”
Attorney General Fires Back
Despite the stinging loss, Attorney General Nessel didn’t back down. Outside the courtroom, she insisted the evidence was clear.
“They lied. They knew they lied, and they tried to steal the votes of millions of Michiganders,” Nessel said.
“If they can get away with this, what can they get away with next?”
What Comes Next
While this Michigan ruling is a major win for Trump’s allies, the story is far from over.
Similar prosecutions are still active in other states.
Just last month, a judge in Wisconsin refused to dismiss charges against three individuals accused of trying to falsify ballots for Trump back in 2020.
The Michigan case may have collapsed, but the broader legal battles over the “fake electors” strategy are still unfolding—and the stakes remain high.