Michigan False Electors Face Preliminary Exams as Prosecutors Outline Case

Six Michigan Republicans who falsely claimed to be electors for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election appeared in court for preliminary examinations, as a judge considered whether criminal cases against them should proceed. One of the defendants, Aaron Van Langevelde, a former member of the Board of State Canvassers, was ordered to leave the courtroom due to concerns that he could be called as a witness. The examinations are the first serious test of the charges brought by Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel against the Republicans, who claimed to be electors despite Joe Biden winning the state.