Former President Trump issued broad pardons to allies involved in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, including Giuliani, Eastman, Powell, and others, aiming to shield them from future federal charges related to their actions, though the pardons exclude Trump himself and do not cover state crimes.
A judge in Michigan has ruled that charges will not be dropped for defendants accused of participating in a fake elector scheme, despite their attorneys arguing that they were "brainwashed" into believing former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. The group of 16 Michigan Republicans face eight criminal charges, including forgery, for signing a document falsely claiming to be the state's "duly elected and qualified electors." Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's comments about the defendants' beliefs were deemed "speculation" and not enough evidence to dismiss the case. Evidentiary hearings are set to begin on October 12th.