Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, filed felony charges on Tuesday against 16 Republicans who acted as fake electors for then president Donald Trump in 2020.
They were accused of submitting false certificates confirming they were legitimate electors, despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Ms Nessel, a Democrat, announced that all 16 people would receive eight criminal charges, including two counts of forgery, which is a felony that can lead to 14 years' imprisonment.
The group includes Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden and Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party.
“It would be malfeasance of the greatest magnitude if my department failed to act here in the face of overwhelming evidence of an organised effort to circumvent the lawfully cast ballots of millions of Michigan voters in a presidential election,” Ms Nessel said in a statement.
The group is alleged to have met on December 14 and signed their names to certificates stating they were the qualified electors for Mr Trump.
These false documents were then transmitted to the US Senate and National Archives.
In January 2022, Ms Nessel asked federal prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into 16 Republicans.
She alleged there was a “co-ordinated effort” among Republicans in several battleground states including Michigan, to push so-called alternate slates of electors with fake documents.
Ms Nessel said she wanted federal authorities to make an evaluation for possible charges.
