Nevada Supreme Court Reinstates ’Fake Electors‘ Case in Clark County
LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed that Clark County is the proper venue to prosecute charges against six Republicans accused of falsely claiming Donald Trump won the state’s 2020 presidential election.The ruling overturns a lower court’s dismissal of the case and allows Nevada attorney General Aaron Ford to proceed with prosecution.
The case centers on six individuals who gathered outside the Nevada Legislature after the 2020 election and signed certificates falsely awarding the state’s six electoral votes to Trump, despite Joe Biden winning Nevada by more than 30,000 votes. The ceremony was livestreamed and the footage has been used as evidence.
A key point of contention was were the alleged crimes occurred. After the ceremony, one of the electors mailed documents from Douglas County to officials in washington, D.C., Carson City, and Las Vegas. Ford argued Clark County was the appropriate venue as one envelope was addressed to a Las vegas judge, while defense attorneys pointed to redirection of an envelope to Reno.
The Supreme Court unanimously sided with Ford’s office, stating Nevada law allows for multiple counties to have jurisdiction over the same offense.
“Today the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed what we have maintained all along - that Clark County is the proper and lawful venue to prosecute our case, and I am pleased with the court’s decision to overturn the district Court’s dismissal of our case in Clark County,” Ford said in a statement.
The defendants,who pleaded not guilty,include Michael McDonald,chairman of the Nevada Republican Party,and Jesse Law,former Clark County Republican Party chairman. They have argued the case is a politically motivated prosecution and that they were exercising their First Amendment rights.
Ford also filed a separate case in Carson City in December 2024 to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring while awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision.That case, charging the defendants with “uttering a forged instrument,” will likely be withdrawn.
The ruling comes amid similar cases brought against Republican electors in Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona. On monday, Trump pardoned his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others accused of aiding efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
