NEW: Michigan AG Dana Nessel says she will seek professional sanctions against Sidney Powell, Trump campaign attorneys who made “what we believe to be an intentional misrepresentation” of facts in recent election lawsuits.
One of the witnesses in Sidney Powell’s new Michigan lawsuit says in a declaration he thinks there’s something fishy about election returns in Edison County, MI. Thing is, there is no Edison County in Michigan.
Michigan Senate GOP Leader Mike Shirkey on legislative election inquiry: “Our investigation, which has been very intense, discovered none, none of the allegations and accusations against Dominion (are) true.”
GOP U.S. Rep. Fred Upton: “The voters have spoken here in Michigan, a 154,000-vote margin by President-elect Biden. No one has come up with any evidence of fraud or abuse.”
ALERT: Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock, a Trump loyalist and husband of Michigan GOP Co-Chair, has been kicked out of the House GOP caucus for allegedly violating caucus rules, according to sources familiar with decision.
NEW: Matt DePerno, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Michigan attorney general, was fired from his former law firm amid allegations of "fraud, deceit and dishonesty."
ALERT: Michigan Supreme Court rules Whitmer "did not have authority after April 30, 2020, to issue or renew any executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic under the EMA."
Michigan's 16 presidential electors, set to cast votes for Joe Biden at the state Capitol on Monday, are being offered police escorts into the building, where protests are expected outside.
Michigan Senate GOP leader Mike Shirkey, last week, defending election report that found no evidence of fraud: “The effort by those who are echoing Trump’s scenarios, I just think that they’re, frankly they’re actually destroying the fabric of our nation, and it’s a bit shameful”
ALERT: Michigan Court of Claims judge suspends enforcement of the state's 1931 abortion ban, which could be instated if Roe is overturned. Says Planned Parenthood has "strong likelihood" of winning an ongoing legal challenge over the law.
INBOX: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that all registered voters in Michigan will receive an application to vote by mail in the August and November elections.
A GOP activist is hosting an "operation incinerator" event tonight in Grand Rapids, encouraging folks to burn their absentee ballot *applications* in apparent protest of SOS Benson's move to mail them to all. There will apparently be a "Dumpster of Liberty Lighting Ceremony."
From a DC source: Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, state Rep. Jim Lilly hit up the Trump Hotel bar last night after their White House visit. I don't know if they stayed at the hotel.
A day after they approved Right-to-Work repeal, 34 House Dems today introduced bills that would provide refundable tax credits to people who pay union dues.
Nessel notes that US AG William Barr testified in late July that he was not aware of any threats against Whitmer, but US Atty/FBI were already investigating at the time. "Either he didn't know what was happening in his own Justice Department or he committed perjury," Nessel said.
AG Dana Nessel on CNN, discussing rise of extremist groups implicated in Whitmer kidnapping plot: "It's not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem, and I think there's going to be more incidents."
Michigan AG Dana Nessel has nearly lost her voice, which is uncharacteristic. But she's dancing on stage, thanking supporters and just gave her wife a big kiss at Dem election party in Detroit.
ALERT: Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens is rejecting President Trump’s request to halt absentee ballot counts here (the count is already complete anyway).
UAW president on Trump's planned to Detroit: "Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers..."
About 70 students currently in line to register to vote at Michigan State University. East Lansing clerk has set up a satellite office, and MSU Vote is giving kids golf cart shuttle rides across campus.
Crews are boarding up windows at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office building across the street from the Michigan Capitol, where police are preparing for possible armed protests this weekend.
Tampons and other feminine hygiene products are officially exempt from Michigan's six percent sales tax. Whitmer signed bipartisan bills in November. The law took effect today.
Wow: Michigan Bureau of Elections says Republican Nikki Snyder did not submit enough valid signatures to make ballot in
#MI8
congressional race. She is highest-profile GOP candidate in primary to take on Democratic freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin
NEW: Wayne County judge rejects GOP SOS candidate Kristina Karamo's lawsuit over absentee ballots in Detroit. Plaintiffs "failed dramatically" and all allegations "unsubstantiated and/or misinterpret Michigan election law."
"Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl turned themselves into law enforcement at the Detroit Detention Center early this morning and are awaiting arraignment on voter intimidation charges," Nessel said this morning.
ALERT: Michigan AG Dana Nessel charges GOP operatives Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl for voter intimidation over robocalls discouraging residents in urban areas like Detroit from voting
Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley says he's "NOT CONCEDING" his primary loss and fourth place finish. In morning Facebook post, he is instead spreading conspiracy theories and suggesting a "predetermined outcome" for Tudor Dixon.
#MIGOV
Gov. Whitmer, on MSNBC, responds to viral video of Biden’s heated exchange with a Detroit autoworker: “He’s able to stand there and have a conversation with someone on a worksite and have a real, real discussion about (gun safety) and where we’re headed”
Plaintiffs in Michigan insurrection clause case seeking to disqualify Trump from ballot have sent the state Supreme Court a copy of yesterday's Colorado ruling:
Republican state Rep. Gary Howell farewell: "My party is now a minority in Michigan, mostly due to its own fault... We need to have the grace, honesty and patriotism to accept election results in our democracy."
Clerical errors don't pick sides: While Antrim initially overstated Joe Biden vote totals, Bay County initially understated Joe Biden's vote totals. Both have been fixed. That's how the review/canvass process works.
Huizenga: "I will not be objecting to Michigan's Electoral College results because of the hundreds of hours my team and I have put in investigating some of the allegations of systemic, system-wide fraud, I have not been able to find hard evidence of that at all."
GOP US Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan, who signed on to the Texas lawsuit to de-certify results, tells WZZM he will not object to Michigan's Electoral College results tomorrow.
Inbox: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has "signed an executive order refusing to extradite women who come to Michigan seeking reproductive health care."
Dr. Sarah Wallett, Planned Parenthood of Michigan: "Come to your appointment this afternoon. We are here for you. Abortion is legal in Michigan (because of separate state-level court decision) and we're gonna continue to fight to make sure that that remains"
NEW: Michigan Supreme Court has has ordered abortion rights initiative onto the ballot, per opposition group that had challenged word spacing. I have yet to see the ruling.
I'd like to see some flash polling on this. Technically, the President mispronounced Meijer by pluralizing it. But it's common usage for a lot of Michigan folks who might hear it as a statement of solidarity. Ope!
Discrepancies in Detroit likely involve fewer than 500 votes in a state Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden won by more than 154,000.
That means an audit of Michigan results, as Republicans have urged, would only delay the process rather than change the outcome
U.S. District Court DC Judge Carl Nichols today DENIED a motion by Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell to dismiss 2020 election defamation suit filed against them by Dominion Voting Systems.
ALERT: Trump campaign is trying to appeal Michigan vote count ruling, but the Court of Appeals has rejected its initial filing as "defective" because it does not include required documentation.
As of 8:30 a.m. this morning, more than 1 million Michiganders had already voted in today's primary election via absentee ballot. SOS says 1,021,394 absentee ballots returned out of 1,313,811 requested.
First bills from new Democratic majorities in
#MILEG
* Expand Earned Income Tax Credit, repeal "retirement tax"
* Add sexual orientation, gender identity to anti-discrimination law
* Repeal 'right to work,' restore 'prevailing wage'
* Repeal 1931 abortion ban
Whitmer responds to Trump's "open up" call this morning on Meet The Press: “We haven’t had a stay-home order since late spring, but I know that he never lets the facts get in the way of comments that he’s making.”
With canvasses complete in all 83 Michigan counties, it appears Joe Biden's margin over Donald Trump has grown to 154,187 votes, a roughly 3 percent point win, according to unofficial results.
Abdul El-Sayed will give a nominating speech today for Nessel and tomorrow will rally with Whitmer and Gilchrist in Detroit and Dearborn. “I’ve got a daughter I’m raising in Michigan, and I don’t want to raise that daughter in Bill Schuette’s Michigan"
Michigan GOP Chair Ron Weiser: "We're taking our damned state back and fixing the damned roads."
(Note: I'm not aware of any new GOP plan to fix the roads since 2015, when Snyder and the GOP-led Legislature approved gas tax hike)
Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl bound over to circuit court on multiple felony election law charges for Detroit voter-suppression robocalls, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today.
ALERT: MIchigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Joe Biden for president, giving the former vice president a boost against top rival Bernie Sanders less than a week ahead of the state's March 10 primary.
Inbox: Michigan unemployment rate drops to 3.6%, matching federal rate for second straight month, per DTMB. It's the state's lowest unemployment rate in 23 years, according to gov's office.
Michigan House votes to ban child marriage under 18, eliminating parental exemption. Passes 104-5. GOP no votes: Carra, Friske, Maddock, Rigas, Schriver.
Donald Trump's campaign paid $20,000 to use the Drake Enterprises facility for his September rally in Michigan. As for pizza, his campaign seems to prefer Dominos
I saw Rep. Matt Maddock outside his office just now and asked if he had any comment on being kicked out of House GOP caucus. He went inside and the door locked behind him. No response to my knock.
Twitter appears to have suspended the account of Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan governor. Not exactly clear why, but Kelley has recently been tweeting that the "pandemic is over." One year ago, he was at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol but said not inside
ALERT: Trump campaign is trying to appeal Michigan vote count ruling, but the Court of Appeals has rejected its initial filing as "defective" because it does not include required documentation.
Democratic AG Dana Nessel at Michigan Pride: Republicans calling LGBTQ people "groomers" or pedophiles are "trying to drag us back decades and decades and turn us into scapegoats"
Senate Minority Leader Ananich (D-Flint) on Gov Snyder's civility pledge letter: "I’m not going to take advice about civility from somebody who poisoned the residents of my city and then lied about it."
Michigan AG Dana Nessel and guests will be "fact-checking in real time" during Trump's rally tomorrow, live on her FB page. Her re-election campaign is calling it "stop the squeal"
Whitmer on CNN: "The sad irony is that on the day the president was admitted to the hospital with the very virus he called a hoax, the Supreme Court in Michigan undermined my emergency rule, my emergency orders that I've had to enact... to save lives."
ALERT: Van Langlevende signals likely certification of Michigan election results: “We have a duty to certify based on these returns. We are limited to these returns.” But he wants to hear public comment first.
With about 192k votes reported in Oakland County, Prop 3 is up there by larger margins than Whitmer, Benson or Nessel (who are all also up in the increasingly Dem county)
NEW: Michigan's Democratic-led House approves bill making it a crime to intimidate election officials and poll workers. 56-54 party-line vote, with no Republican support. (reposted to fix typo. Original tweet said "imitate" not intimidate)
BUSY day in Michigan's Dem-led Legislature:
*LGBT rights bill sent to governor
*House votes to repeal Right-to-Work, restore prevailing wage
*1931 abortion ban repeal headed to governor
*House Oks universal gun background checks
Read about it all:
AG Dana Nessel on CNN, discussing rise of extremist groups implicated in Whitmer kidnapping plot: "It's not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem, and I think there's going to be more incidents."
With recreational marijuana set to be legalized with passage of Proposal 1, Whitmer says she is open to expunging or otherwise addressing criminal records for those convicted of behaviors that will now be legal.