Judge Dismisses Charges Against Nevada Republicans Falsely Declaring Trump 2020 Win

Las Vegas, Nevada, Nevada United States of America
Defendants faced felony charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Prosecution aimed to ensure attacks on democracy would not go unchallenged.
Defendants included Nevada GOP chairman Michael McDonald and prominent party leaders from Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe areas.
Indictment against defendants resulted from their submission of certificates to Congress falsely declaring Trump as the winner in Nevada.
Judge determined Clark County was not an appropriate jurisdiction for this case. Defense attorneys argued Carson City or Douglas County would be more suitable venues.
Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed charges against six Nevada Republicans for falsely declaring Donald Trump as the winner of the state's 2020 presidential election.
Nevada is one of seven presidential battleground states where fake electors falsely certified Trump as the winner in 2020. Other states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Judge Dismisses Charges Against Nevada Republicans Falsely Declaring Trump 2020 Win

In a significant development on June 21, 2024, Judge Mary Kay Holthus of the Clark County District Court in Nevada dismissed charges against six Republicans who falsely declared Donald Trump as the winner of the state's 2020 presidential election. The defendants included Nevada GOP chairman Michael McDonald and prominent party leaders from Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe areas. The judge determined that state prosecutors had chosen the wrong venue to file these charges.

The indictment against these individuals was a result of their submission of certificates to Congress falsely declaring Trump as the winner in Nevada. However, Judge Holthus ruled that Clark County was not an appropriate jurisdiction for this case. The defense attorneys had argued that Carson City or Douglas County would be more suitable venues since the fake elector documents were originally mailed from Douglas County and the false signing ceremony took place in Carson City.

The defendants, who faced felony charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, had been indicted in December 2023. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford had stated at the time that he would pursue this prosecution to ensure that attacks on democracy would not go unchallenged.

Nevada is one of seven presidential battleground states where slates of fake electors falsely certified Trump as the winner in 2020. Other states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Nevada may once again be a battleground state as Trump campaigned there earlier in June 2024.

Criminal charges have been brought in Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona regarding similar cases of fake electors. The defendants' attorneys argued that the statute of limitations had expired and they could not be re-filed in Carson City or Douglas County due to this limitation.

This dismissal marks the first time a case related to Trump's efforts to submit a false slate of electors has been dismissed.



Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are there any other potential jurisdictions where similar charges could be filed against these individuals?
  • Is it confirmed that all defendants were present during the false signing ceremony in Carson City?
  • Were there any witnesses to the defendants falsely declaring Trump as the winner?

Sources

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Nevada judge dismissed a criminal indictment against six Republicans on June 21, 2024 for falsely declaring Donald Trump as the winner of the state's 2020 presidential election.
    • Judge Mary Kay Holthus determined that state prosecutors chose the wrong venue to file and called off a scheduled trial for defendants including Nevada GOP chairman Michael McDonald and prominent party leaders from Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe areas.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

  • Unique Points
    • Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed a case against six 'fake electors' who falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election in Nevada.
    • The trial scheduled for January was called off due to the judge ruling that the venue was incorrect.
    • Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford brought the case in Clark County, but defense attorneys argued it should have been filed in a northern Nevada city.
    • Defense attorneys stated that since a three-year statute of limitations had expired, they considered the case 'done'.
    • These individuals faced felony charges that carry penalties up to four or five years in prison.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author presents a factual account of the case and its dismissal without making any logical fallacies. However, there is an appeal to authority when mentioning that the state attorney general's office says the fake electors 'disrupted the results of a free and fair presidential election.' Additionally, inflammatory rhetoric can be found in phrases like 'former President Trump', which implies a level of legitimacy to his claims of election fraud.
    • The author presents a factual account of the case and its dismissal without making any logical fallacies.
    • There is an appeal to authority when mentioning that the state attorney general's office says the fake electors 'disrupted the results of a free and fair presidential election.'
    • Inflammatory rhetoric can be found in phrases like 'former President Trump', which implies a level of legitimacy to his claims of election fraud.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled that Clark County was not the appropriate place to decide the case.
    • This is the first time a case related to Trump campaign’s efforts to submit a false slate of electors has been dismissed.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • A Clark County, Nevada judge dismissed the charges filed by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford against six so-called ‘alternate electors’ related to their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in this specific article.
    • Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled that she is not convinced that Clark County is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case, as the allegedly fake elector documents were originally mailed from Douglas County and the false signing ceremony took place in Carson City, both in western Nevada. This fact is unique as it provides specific details about where the alleged crimes occurred.
    • The defendants’ attorneys argued that Carson City or Douglas County would be a more appropriate jurisdiction for the case.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed a case against six allies of former President Donald Trump in Nevada on Friday.
    • The defendants were indicted for allegedly falsely portraying themselves as Nevada’s presidential electors after the 2020 election.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication