Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) announced charges against 16 Michigan residents for “their role in the alleged false electors scheme following the 2020 U.S. presidential election.”

Details: According to a press release from the attorney general, the accused individuals “met covertly in the basement of the Michigan Republican Party headquarters on December 14th, and signed their names to multiple certificates stating they were the ‘duly elected and qualified electors for President and Vice President of the United States of America for the State of Michigan.’ These false documents were then transmitted to the United States Senate and National Archives in a coordinated effort to award the state’s electoral votes to the candidate of their choosing, in place of the candidates actually elected by the people of Michigan.”

For Context: These charges are separate from the Department of Justice’s investigation into Jan. 6. Six other states— Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin— also had instances of fake electors attempts. Joe Biden won all of these states, but the fake electors claimed they were won by Donald Trump. Investigations into the fake electors are confirmed to be underway in Arizona and Georgia as well. 

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated outlets covered the charges more prominently and frequently. The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) included a quote from one of the individuals charged claiming that “the Trump campaign asked us to” submit the false electors.