Michigan 'False Electors' Case Dismissed, Prosecutor Cites 'Righteous Anger'

Attorney General Dana Nessel declines to appeal judge's dismissal of charges against 16 individuals who signed documents attempting to certify Trump electors in 2020.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that the state will not appeal a judge's decision to dismiss charges against 16 individuals who signed documents attempting to certify Donald Trump's slate of electors in the 2020 presidential election, despite Joe Biden's victory in the state. Nessel said she still believes the individuals committed crimes, but concluded the resource-intensive case was unlikely to succeed and that it would be 'fundamentally unjust' to continue prosecuting lower-level participants in what she described as a criminal conspiracy led by former President Trump.

Why it matters

The dismissal of the 'false electors' case in Michigan highlights the ongoing political and legal fallout from the 2020 election, with many still harboring 'righteous anger' over efforts to overturn the results. While Nessel believes crimes were committed, the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence of criminal intent, underscoring the challenges in prosecuting such cases.

The details

In July 2023, 16 individuals were charged, primarily with offenses related to forgery, for signing documents attempting to certify Trump's slate of electors in Michigan despite Biden's victory. The charges included Shelby Township Clerk Stan Grot and Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed the charges in September, ruling there was not enough evidence to prove criminal intent. Nessel said an appeals court likely would have sided with her office's argument that forgery is not just a property crime, but proving the criminal intent element highlighted by the judge could have been 'more complicated'.

  • In July 2023, 16 individuals were charged in the case.
  • In September 2023, Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed the charges against the remaining 15 defendants.

The players

Dana Nessel

The Attorney General of Michigan who announced the state will not appeal the dismissal of charges against the 'false electors'.

Stan Grot

The Shelby Township Clerk who was one of the 16 individuals charged in the case.

Meshawn Maddock

The former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party who was one of the 16 individuals charged in the case.

Kristen Simmons

The judge who dismissed the charges against the remaining 15 defendants, ruling there was insufficient evidence of criminal intent.

Donald Trump

The former president who Nessel said led the 'criminal conspiracy' behind the efforts to certify a false slate of electors in Michigan.

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What they’re saying

“We considered that Michigan's Republican elector nominees, who eventually became Michigan's false slate, did not design or demand this criminal conspiracy. As shown by the Report of Special Counsel Smith regarding these matters, this was indeed Trump's criminal conspiracy.”

— Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan (rawstory.com)

“The dismissal of the false slate charges does not change the facts, and it does not change history. What Michigan's false slate did was wrong.”

— Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan (rawstory.com)

The takeaway

The dismissal of the 'false electors' case in Michigan underscores the ongoing political and legal challenges in holding individuals accountable for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, even as prosecutors believe crimes were committed. The case highlights the difficulties in proving criminal intent, as well as the 'righteous anger' that remains over these events.