A Nevada district court has dismissed criminal charges against six Republican electors who were accused of submitting a false certificate claiming Donald Trump won the state’s 2020 presidential election, according to a ruling issued Thursday.
The case had been prosecuted by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is also campaigning for governor as a Democrat. The six defendants, including Michael McDonald, chair of the Nevada Republican Party, and Jesse Law, former chair of the Clark County Republican Party, faced charges of forgery and offering a false instrument for filing or record. All pleaded not guilty. Ford’s office indicated it plans to appeal the dismissal.
Judge Mary Kay Holthus determined that prosecutors failed to establish that the electors intended to deceive government officials. The judge noted that the defendants openly announced their actions and stated purpose rather than concealing their conduct, which she found inconsistent with fraudulent intent. Additionally, Holthus found that the state failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to the grand jury.
The case centered on the defendants’ motivation for submitting the certificate. Prosecutors contended the electors intended for their documents to be mistaken for legitimate electoral votes that then-Vice President Mike Pence would count on January 6, 2021. The defendants’ attorneys argued they engaged in “political theater” to voice concerns about the election and were exercising their rights to challenge official results without intent to deceive any government agency.
The Nevada dismissal reflects a broader pattern of setbacks for swing state prosecutions of fake electors. Similar cases in Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia have been dismissed, though Arizona’s attorney general has indicated plans to seek a new indictment. A federal case against Trump involving alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election was dropped by a special prosecutor in late 2024. A fake electors case remains active in Wisconsin.
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