(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/03/2023) A federal judge rejected a Grand Blanc woman’s request to move her state charges related to the GOP alternate electors’ scheme to federal court.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker in the Western District said Amy Facchinello, who is charged with eight felony counts stemming from the Republicans' alternate electors scheme during Michigan's 2020 presidential election, failed to show federal jurisdiction applied.
“Defendant Facchinello first claims that she was acting as a federal officer herself as a Republican-nominated presidential elector,” Jonker’s Thursday order reads. “But presidential electors themselves are not federal officers. Moreover, defendant Facchinello never became an actual presidential elector anyway.”
Jonker’s order went on to note that “even though electors perform a federal function, their authority derives from the States, not the federal government.”
As a result of Jonker’s order, Facchinello’s case returns to Ingham County District Court.
Facchinello’s attorney, Paul Stablein, said, “We have the utmost respect for the federal court and will abide by Judge Jonker’s decision.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel said the defendants met Dec. 14, 2020, in the basement of the state’s Republican Party headquarters and signed multiple certificates claiming they were the “duly elected and qualified electors for president and vice president of the United States of America” for Michigan’s 2020 election.
Each defendant was charged with eight felonies, including forgery. However, the prosecution reached a cooperation agreement with James Renner, 76, of Lansing, that resulted in the dismissal of his charges.
Preliminary exams for Facchinello, Kathy Berden, John Haggard, Mari-Ann Henry, Michele Lundregn, former party chair Meshawn Maddock and Ken Thompson are set for Dec. 13-14.
Preliminary exams for William “Hank” Choate, Stanley Grot, Mayra Rodriguez, Rose Rook and Kent Vanderwood are set for Jan. 30-31, while hearings have not yet been set for Clifford Frost, Timothy King and Marian Sheridan.
