Several Republicans have escaped electoral accountability after Michigan Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed all charges imposed on them regarding forgery and conspiracy during the 2020 election. This decision resulted from a “lack of sufficient evidence to prove intent.” On Sept. 9, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that all suspects would face criminal charges for their involvement in election forgery.
“They tried to steal the votes of millions of Michiganders. If they can get away with this, what can’t they get away with next?” Nessel said.
In response, Simmons said that the case lacked orchestrated schemes despite the prosecutors exposing the republicans in question would sign documents in secret and claim to be chosen to represent Michigan. Investigators also confirmed the group of Republicans had met at the Michigan GOP headquarters to falsely sign documents stating they were the “duly elected and qualified electors.” Simmons explained how no justifiable criminal charges were imposed upon the suspects in 2023.
They were “Savvy or unsophisticated enough to understand the electoral college,” Simmons said. She spoke on a subject that benefited the same president who advocated for his supporters to contest the results, leading to the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after losing the election to former President Joe Biden. The existence of falsely signed electoral votes became even more relevant after this tragedy, igniting Democrats like Nessel to come forward with a stance on the case. While the case was dismissed this year, its dismissal does not undo the fact that the incident happened at a time of distress and conflict between two political parties.
“This was, in my belief, a coordinated attempt to overturn the will of the American people,” Nessel said after a disappointing case against the Republicans.
To conclude the case, only one pro-Trump elector was convicted of the crime, Lorraine Pallegrino, who cast a falsified vote in the state of Arizona. The other 15 Republicans were set free without punishment.
It can be hard to identify exploitation by individuals who secure congressional positions at the expense of the votes cast by American civilians, as a vast majority of Americans are unaware of electoral college guidelines; however, it is crucial to secure the integrity of every election. Electoral fraud is no more than an attempt to subvert or manipulate the electoral process, which is exactly what happened in the case just dismissed by Simmons.
These actions went against 52 UCS 20511: Criminal Penalties Section 2, which states a violator is an elected official who “knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process.” The final feedback given by Nessel was that her office would consider an appeal for the case.
While Simmons has chosen to interpret this case as nothing but an execution of their constitutional rights, the case must remain open until a concluded verdict imposes consequences on the Republicans who took part in such heinous actions. The idea of setting aside such a pivotal case leaves American voters unsure of their voting power in upcoming elections. The fundamentals of an electoral college are meant to cater to the priorities and concerns of American civilians; instead, it has been used to empower presidential status. The efforts of these Republicans to debunk the votes of other ballot casters are unethical and expose the wrath of unfair and impartial voting tactics.
