Overview
- Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed forgery and false‑instrument charges Thursday after finding prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence that the six Republicans intended to deceive public officials.
- Holthus also ruled that prosecutors withheld evidence from the grand jury and that testimony showed the GOP certificate could not legally have been accepted, which undermined the statutes used to charge the defendants.
- The six defendants include Nevada GOP chair Michael McDonald and four party operatives who publicly signed and mailed an alternate-elector certificate in 2021 claiming the state's electoral votes for President Trump.
- Attorney General Aaron Ford said his office will appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, a step that could extend the case for more than a year and outlast his time in office.
- The dismissal adds to a string of failed or dropped fake‑elector prosecutions in other states and highlights questions about whether existing state laws adequately criminalize public alternate‑elector schemes.