Michigan republican testifies about involvement in fake elector plot

During a preliminary hearing, Michigan Republican James Renner, a 77-year-old accused of participating in a fake elector plot after the 2020 presidential election, testified that he did not know how the electoral process worked and never intended to make a false public record. He claimed that he and other electors were told that the process was appropriate and that if he had known it was illegal, he would have challenged it.

Cooperation deal and testimony

The charges against Renner were dropped last year after a cooperation deal was reached with the state attorney general’s office. Renner also testified that he and other electors attended a meeting at the Michigan Republican Party's headquarters in Lansing on Dec. 14, 2020, and were asked to replace an elector who had canceled. They signed a form authorizing them to be electors, along with a companion sheet that purported that Trump had won the election.

Legal charges and allegations

The Michigan Attorney General's office announced charges against the fake electors last July, alleging that they met in the basement of the state's Republican Party headquarters and signed multiple certificates stating they were the duly elected and qualified electors for president and vice president. The defendants have insisted that their actions were not illegal, despite Biden winning Michigan by nearly 155,000 votes over Trump.

Preliminary hearings

Preliminary hearings for the accused fake electors continue as the judge determines if there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges.