DONALD Trump, after his 2020 re-election defeat in the US state of Michigan, conspired to brand himself the winner by fake so-called “electors”. But unlike them, Trump has not been charged with a crime, an official said Wednesday.
The case is similar to one in the southern state of Georgia – another key state in Joe Biden’s election victory – where Trump and several others face criminal charges.
The “fake elector” scheme was also mentioned by Special Counsel Jack Smith in the federal election subversion case filed against Trump in Washington.
The electors – representatives of the winning candidates in each state – sign an official document sent to Congress after the presidential election.
Despite losing Michigan in 2020, Trump’s representatives still signed documents declaring he had won the state.
In July 2023, the state’s attorney general brought charges against the 16 people.
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Fifteen people have pleaded not guilty, while one person agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for the charges against him being withdrawn.
An investigator in the case testified Wednesday at a preliminary hearing that, in addition to the 16 people charged, there were several others who participated in the events but have not yet been charged.
When asked whether his co-conspirators included Trump and some of his co-workers, Special Agent Howard Shock answered “Yes,” local media reported.
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Other colleagues include Trump’s then-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, as well as Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor who worked for Trump’s campaign.
Both have also been charged in the Georgia case.
According to American judicial tradition, the names of conspirators are usually not disclosed to the public unless they are charged with a crime.
According to the attorney general, an elected Democrat, the 16 defendants met in secret in the basement of the state’s Republican Party headquarters to sign documents in which they declared they were Michigan’s legitimate electors. (AFP/Z-3)
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