We've been categorizing stories about the 2020 November presidential election under this site's Politics or Election label, but as of today, we're switching it to Crime. Because that's what's being described in Washington this month, as the Congressional committee investigating the January 6 riot reports its findings.
Who would get to braid Meshawn Maddock's hair at the slumber party? (File photo)
Tuesday's hearing discussed Donald Trump's efforts to influence state-level election workers to manipulate voting totals in key swing states like Michigan, as well as the multiple fake-electors schemes, including the one here.
The most jaw-dropping moment for Michigan came when the state's former GOP chairwoman, Laura Cox, revealed in recorded testimony that the 16 fake Michigan electors, who included current GOP vice-chair Meshawn Maddock, had a plan to get inside the state Capitol in Lansing the night before the formal casting of electoral votes December 14. She described a conversation with a Republican lawyer working with the group:
"He told me that the Michigan Republican electors were planning to meet in the Capitol and hide overnight so that they could fulfill the role of casting their vote per law in the Michigan chambers, and I told him in no uncertain terms that that was insane and inappropriate."
As it was, the group walked up en masse and asked to be let in, but the state policeman at the door informed them they weren't on the list and couldn't come in, the same way the bouncer declines to let you into the nightclub because you're dressed like a rube.
Yes, he treated them like the thing Trump hates and fears the most: Losers.
The revelation landed with a clang, but reporters scurried to find a follow-up, and Craig Mauger of the Detroit News scored with this:
Today's select committee hearing proves that some Michigan Republicans were contemplating hiding in the Capitol overnight to circumvent the building's closure on Dec. 14, 2020.
— Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) June 21, 2022
The Legislature has apparently done nothing to probe this planning over the last 18 months. https://t.co/LU975JOyiM
Meanwhile, Attorney General Dana Nessel has referred the fake-electors case to federal prosecutors. They could face charges of forgery of a public record and election-law forgery, she said. Both are felonies.
