Attorneys Tell House Committee GOP Electors Case Was Political

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/17/2025) Two attorneys Wednesday detailed for a House committee the dismissal of charges against the 15 GOP electors, citing insufficient evidence and political motivations by Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Kevin Kijewski, who represented Clifford Frost and is running for AG in 2026, also said it would be worthwhile to investigate whether Nessel or her staff had any part in the federal government’s investigation, dubbed Arctic Frost, that targeted nearly 100 Republican and GOP-aligned groups, which Sen. Chuck Grassley shared in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.

“It appears that, I’m not saying it is the case, but it certainly appears worthy of investigation to see to what extent, if any, that the Attorney General herself, her office and her staff participated, cooperated, aided or abetted in what Sen. Chuck Grassley brought you yesterday,” Kijewski said.

Kijewski and Nicholas Somberg, who represented former GOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock, reiterated for the House Weaponization of State Government Committee some of their defense arguments, noting that the electors signed a “certificate of vote” in December 2020 as a “contingent certificate intended to preserve a legal pathway” should legal challenges or legislative actions overturn the 2020 presidential election results in their candidate’s favor.

“I think Dana Nessel was trying to interfere with the 2024 election,” Somberg said.

Attorney testifies about the false electors case brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel.

In a statement, Nessel pointed out that no judge or jury has found the GOP electors not guilty.

“Plainly, none of these defendants have ever even denied the conduct supporting these criminal charges – that they signed the fraudulent certificate of electors,” she said. “The Court claimed, instead, that these defendants were insufficiently ‘savvy or sophisticated enough’ to understand the electoral process, to understand their role in this plot to overturn the 2020 election. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and neither is just plain ignorance.”

Kijewski and Somberg also criticized Nessel’s public statements that the GOP electors couldn’t plead guilty if they wanted to because they truly believed they were doing the right thing, as well as the financial and emotional toll on the defendants, including longtime businessman John Haggard, who died after learning the charges had been dismissed.

At a virtual event, Nessel said the GOP electors had been “brainwashed,” and that they “legit believe” they did everything right. As a result, the electors “can’t even plead guilty if they wanted to because they can’t admit that what they did violated the law because they still think they’re right.”

Those comments, Kijewski said, expose Nessel's “blatant abuse of power to weaponize the justice system against Republicans for the sake of being Republicans. This vindicates my client, Mr. Frost, and indicts Attorney General Nessel’s deranged crusade to silence any dissent to advance her extreme ideology.”

Ingham County District Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed charges against the 15 on Sept. 9, while the 16th had charges dismissed in a prior agreement with the AG’s office.

Chair Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) quickly reiterated the attorneys’ comments, asking if they saw evidence proving their clients’ guilt and arguably chastising the AG for not giving the electors a chance to explain themselves prior to bringing charges.

Rigas also took offense to an assistant AG comparing Meshawn Maddock’s request to travel out of state for an event hosted by My Pillow founder Mike Lindell, a prominent President Donald Trump supporter, to allowing an alcoholic to attend a wine conference.

“I think that’s very inappropriate and unprofessional, especially from an Attorney General who had to be wheeled out of a college football game because she had an issue with alcohol,” Rigas said.

Somberg corrected Rigas, noting that it wasn’t Nessel who made the alcohol comment, but an assistant attorney general prosecuting the case.

Rigas also questioned whether the criminal case caused the electors to disengage from future civic or political activities in the future.

“They just want to go back to their way of life, but they are irreparably damaged,” Kijewski replied.

". . .  I’m not going to turn this into a Charlie Kirk,” he said, referencing the recent shooting death of Kirk, a close ally of the Trump administration and co-founder of Turning Point USA, while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

“But, this is part of the weaponization that we have that contributes to this dangerous political discourse,” Kijewski added.

Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) called the electors “innocent Michigan patriots” who were exercising their constitutional right to redress a situation they believed was wrong, and he asked about the financial toll.

Kijewski said some of the defendants paid upwards of $250,000 to $300,000 to fight the charges.

The AG’s office could not say how much was spent prosecuting the case, noting in a statement that “attorneys and investigators working on this investigation and prosecution each had many, even dozens of, cases they were working on simultaneous to their efforts invested in this particular case.”

Schriver also asked what policy could be implemented to prevent political prosecutions in the future. Kijewski said the process of malicious prosecution needs to be changed and continuing education or guidelines in the AG’s office about a thorough investigation.

Somberg said prosecutors have near complete immunity, but there should be some way to hold them personally responsible.

Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) reminded everyone that there were lawmakers who had to be escorted out of committees by guards dressed in riot gear and how people tried to storm the committee rostrum while Rep. Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) bluntly asked Kijewski if he believes it is “dangerous rhetoric” to repeatedly falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

“I don’t think that if you take a look at really any sensible Republican out there they would say that when it comes to the 2020 election … that Joe Biden was never elected the president,” Kijewski replied. “… But if people want to express opinions and not incite violence, then I don’t think it is dangerous.”

Wegela retorted: “Maybe. Thank you. And hopefully you can tell our President that.”

“That’s your first warning,” Rigas told Wegela.

While the criminal cases have been dismissed, the 2020 GOP electors still face civil lawsuits filed by three Democratic electors, who say the GOP electors’ actions inflicted intentional emotional distress.