Former President Donald J. Trump has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the investigation by the Michigan attorney general’s office into interference in the 2020 election. Charges have already been brought against 15 Republicans in Michigan who acted as fake electors for Mr. Trump after President Biden defeated him in the state in 2020.
During pretrial hearings in Lansing this week, a special agent for the attorney general’s office named several individuals, including Mr. Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, as participants in the conspiracy.
The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear if Mr. Trump or any of his former aides or advisers will face legal jeopardy in Michigan. Michigan is one of five swing states conducting investigations or prosecutions related to attempts by Mr. Trump and his allies to circumvent the will of voters after the 2020 election.
In addition to Michigan, Georgia has brought charges against Mr. Trump, Mr. Meadows, and Mr. Giuliani. Nevada has focused on Republicans who acted as fake electors, while Arizona and Wisconsin are also conducting investigations.
Mr. Trump is facing federal cases related to election interference in 2020, but his biggest legal challenge currently is a criminal trial in Manhattan concerning hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels.
The cases in these swing states are crucial in determining the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. In Michigan, questions remain about who else could potentially face charges in connection to the fake electors.
The pretrial hearings in Michigan have revealed the role of individuals like Mike Roman, a former Trump campaign operative, in coordinating efforts to present fake electors in swing states. Defense lawyers have criticized the actions of the Republican Party and the Trump campaign, claiming that lawyers and operatives misled the fake electors.
As the investigation continues, the presiding judge in the Michigan case has divided the pretrial hearings into two groups. The hearings for the first group of defendants have concluded, with a decision on whether the case will proceed to trial pending the conclusion of the second group’s hearings.
