Donald Trump has not escaped Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s watchful legal eye regarding the illegal use of fake electors.
The Michigan AG said:
‘the evidence presented by the Jan. 6 committee was what compelled her to re-open the case, saying, “why wouldn’t we charge under state law when we have evidence to do so?”‘
Attorney General Nessel decided to reopen her investigation based on the signatures Trump collected on a acolyte-generated certificate. The certificate appeared to be a hasty job unlike the more formal legal certificate used in the state of Michigan, according to CNN.
Nessel announced her decision to hand the case to federal prosecutors on Friday. During her press conference, the Michigan attorney general said that she was “a little worried” now that the Department of Justice has had her earlier referral for over one year. After all she said, there was “clear evidence” of the criminal intent.
Nessel said that the January 6 Select Committee presented “overwhelming” evidence of Trump’s misdeeds, but her case was cut and dried:
‘What we have seen from the January 6 committee is an overwhelming amount of evidence. I thought that there was already a substantial amount of evidence in that case. But now, there is just clear evidence to support charges against those 16 false electors, at least in our state.’
AG Nessel expressed frustration as the Department of Justice appeared to move unusually slowly:
‘Quite candidly, yes, we are re-opening our investigation because I don’t know what the federal government plans to do.’
A year ago, the AG said that her people began analyzing changes to prevent the ex-president or any candidate from sending in fake electors from her state. Nessel noted that she had been “confident we have enough evidence to charge.” The charges would have been “forgery of a public record,” among others. However, she made the decision to pass the case on to the DOJ.
Friday was the second anniversary of Trump’s failed coup on America’s democracy. Nessel chose that date for her press conference, given its historical significance.
Now the Department of Justice is in possession of text messages, emails, witness testimony, and other evidence from the January 6 Select Committee, Nessel pointed out. Her implication was clear. The DOJ needs to move now.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith to investigate the entirety of the attempted coup, including the fake electors. Still, the final decision to prosecute Trump or not still lies with the AG.
That includes the Trump team’s efforts in Michigan.
