MICHIGAN – In what is being referred to as “an egregious abuse of power,” 16 Michigan supporters of former President Donald Trump are facing felony charges for their roles in Trump’s unsuccessful drive to prove the 2020 presidential election was laced with voter fraud and other criminal conduct.
Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Tuesday the charges on the state’s website. The Democrat said those charged participated in an “alleged false electors scheme.”
The 16 defendants range in age from 55 to 82. The charges came on the same day that Trump said he expects to be indicted by a federal grand jury investigating the Capitol riots and his efforts to prove there was fraud in the presidential race, reported The Western Journal.
The charges were widely condemned on social media by people growing tired of the weaponization in the criminal justice system. One poster noted, “Look at their ages, too. This is a monstrous injustice.”
Another Twitter user, Johnny Connoly @HereizzJohnny replied, “Shootings in Detroit are up 32% but this is their priority.”
According to the state’s website, all sixteen defendants face one count of Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, two counts of Forgery, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Uttering and Publishing, one count of Uttering and Publishing, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Election Law Forgery and two counts of Election Law Forgery.
Each person faces an exposure of up to 85 years in prison if convicted on all charges, according to The Western Journal.
John Haggard, 82, of Charlevoix, a Trump elector, told the Detroit News that he had been unaware of the charges until members of the media contacted him.
“Did I do anything illegal? No,” Haggard said, adding no policy prevented anyone from making “a statement.”
Chairman Vance Patrick of the Oakland County Republican Party referred to the charges as “an egregious abuse of power by a radical progressive and continues the trend of politically motivated witch hunts, perpetrated by the left against Republican candidates and activists.”
It’s noteworthy that the unprecedented charges come nearly three years after the last election, just as Trump is stumping for the 2024 presidential bid.
Former Michigan Republican Party Co-Chairwoman Meshawn Maddock is among those targeted and charged by Nessel. She referred to the indictment as “a personal vendetta,” the New York Times reported.
“This is part of a national coordinated” effort to stop Trump, said Maddock, who had assumed her post following the election.
