BREAKING: President Trump Issues Sweeping Pardons for 2020 Election Integrity Advocates

Michigan Electors Among 77 Patriots Granted Full, Unconditional Pardons

By Patrice Johnson, Chairperson and Founder, Michigan Fair Elections Institute

November 10, 2025

In a historic proclamation issued November 7, President Donald J. Trump granted full and unconditional pardons to 77 Americans who faced prosecution for their involvement in challenging the 2020 presidential election results, calling it necessary to end "a grave national injustice" and continue the "process of national reconciliation."

The pardons cover all 15 Michigan alternate electors who faced felony charges from Attorney General Dana Nessel, including former Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock, Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden, Mari-Ann Henry, Marian Sheridan, Hank Choate, Amy Facchinello, Clifford Frost, Stanley Grot, John Haggard, Timothy King, Michele Lundgren, Mayra Rodriguez, Rose Rook, Ken Thompson, Kent Vanderwood

Also pardoned are prominent attorneys John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and Sidney Powell, among dozens of others who participated in efforts to present alternate electoral slates or challenge voting procedures in battleground states.

"This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election," the proclamation states, granting pardons for "conduct relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting, activities, participation in, or advocacy for or of any slate or proposed slate of Presidential electors" in connection with the 2020 election.

State Senator Jim Runestad, (R-23rd District, Oakland) chair of the Michigan Republican party, hailed the proclamation, saying, “President Trump’s pardon for our 15 brave Michigan electors is a resounding victory for justice and the rule of law.”

Michigan Charges Already Dismissed

The presidential action comes just two months after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s legal proceedings collapsed. On Sept. 9, 2025, Lansing District Court Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed all charges against Michigan's fifteen alternate electors, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove criminal intent.

"This is a fraud case, and we have to prove intent," Judge Simmons stated from the bench. "And I don't believe there is evidence sufficient to prove intent."

Judge Simmons, appointed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, found that the defendants sincerely believed "there were some serious irregularities with the election" and were "trying to do what they believed was the right thing." The judge noted that cooperating witness James Renner testified there was "no intent to defraud" and that participants believed they were following proper procedures based on advice from attorneys.

Attorney General Nessel had until September 30 to appeal the dismissal under Michigan Court Rule 7.203(C)(2) but failed to file, allowing the dismissal to stand.

“With Judge Simmons’ dismissal of these baseless lawfare charges in September, and AG Nessel realizing the hopelessness of an appeal of these ridiculous charges, these pardons draw a final conclusion to the horrific witch hunt led by the Democratic Party,” Runestad told MFEI.

Constitutional Duty Fulfilled

The President's action fulfilled his constitutional obligation, as Americans have the right — indeed, the duty — to ensure election integrity. Whether these patriots were right or wrong, they acted on sincere beliefs about election irregularities.

Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, mandates the president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." When credible evidence suggests election fraud may have altered outcomes, a presidential investigation is not optional. It’s constitutionally required.

If voters are subjected to leadership by someone who did not receive the necessary electoral votes due to fraud, their civil rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments have been violated. The President's faithful execution of the laws necessarily includes investigating and remedying such violations.

On the flip side, when the government stifles free speech and persecutes citizens who question it, the government has crossed the line to totalitarianism, practiced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Russia, and Iran.

The Michigan Fair Elections Institute contributed research that informed provisions of President Trump's Executive Order 14248 on election integrity, signed March 25, 2025, which mandates citizenship verification during voter registration and strict maintenance of accurate voter rolls.

Legal Scholars: "Constitutional Gap" in Fraud Remedies

Legal analysts note the pardons highlight a critical weakness in American election law: There is no current legal mechanism to remedy fraud that changes the outcome of a presidential election after inauguration.

We have a constitutional gap between Election Day and Inauguration Day. If fraud is discovered that changed the outcome, we have no process to address it. Organizations like MFEI document the detail of election processes, continually building the evidentiary foundation for the solution our system needs.

MFEI's Soles to Rolls program, staffed by nearly 900 volunteers at the end of 2024, had a hand in removing or challenging approximately 86,000 ineligible registrants from Michigan's voter rolls.

Declassified Documents Reveal Coordination

The pardons come amid recent declassifications by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard showing Obama-era intelligence officials suppressed evidence contradicting claims of Russian election interference in 2016.

Documents released July 18 and 23, 2025, reveal over 100 pages of emails and memos showing officials including John Brennan and James Clapper inflating confidence assessments to delegitimize Trump's 2016 victory. Meanwhile, they buried dissenting FBI and NSA information.

"This 'coup' precedent normalized the opacity we witnessed in 2020," said state Representative Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), citing midnight tabulation halts, unsecured voting systems, and questionable voter roll practices documented by MFEI. Smit serves as Michigan House Speaker Pro Tempore and Chair of the House Election Integrity Committee.

Scope of Pardons

The presidential proclamation specifically names 77 individuals across seven battleground states who served as alternate electors or advised campaigns on legal challenges. The pardon is explicit in not applying to President Trump himself.

States represented include Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico. Many of those pardoned faced felony charges carrying potential prison sentences of up to 14 years.

In Arizona, 18 individuals including former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and attorney Boris Epshteyn were charged. In Georgia, 16 alternate electors faced racketeering charges. Nevada charged six individuals, while Wisconsin charged ten.

Most of these state-level prosecutions have stalled or were dismissed. An Arizona judge sent that state's case back to a grand jury in May 2025. Nevada's charges were dismissed for jurisdictional reasons. Georgia's case remains mired in disputes over prosecutorial misconduct.

Political Reactions Sharply Divided

Republicans celebrated the pardons as correcting politically motivated prosecutions.

"These were patriotic Americans exercising their constitutional rights," said attorney Nick Somberg, who represented Maddock. "This was lawfare from the beginning. There was no forgery. There was no conspiracy. There was no fraud."

Former Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock, who faced eight felony charges, said: "We all knew from day one that we had done nothing illegal or wrong. Yes, we volunteered to be an Alternate Elector in support of Donald J. Trump. That is not a crime."

Democrats condemned the pardons as undermining accountability.

Attorney General Nessel, who initially called Judge Simmons' September dismissal a "very wrong decision," has not commented on the presidential pardons. At the time of the state dismissal, she warned: "If they can get away with this, what can't they get away with next?"

Michigan Democratic leadership has not yet issued statements on the pardons.

Looking Ahead: 2026 Michigan Races

The pardons come as Michigan prepares for critical 2026 elections with open seats for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and two Michigan Supreme Court justices.

One could argue that President Trump is paving the way for 2026's high-stakes races by ensuring Americans can participate in election oversight without fear of prosecution.

MFEI has announced plans to expand operations for the 2026 cycle, pursuing three active FOIA lawsuits, implementing Executive Order 14248 provisions locally, and mobilizing over 2,500 volunteers across 42 of Michigan's 83 counties.

The work continues, and with these pardons, President Trump affirms that questioning election processes is not sedition — it is citizenship. Demanding transparency is not conspiracy — it is constitutional duty. And ensuring every legitimate vote counts is not partisan politics — it is the essence of democracy.

The proclamation directs the Attorney General, acting through the Pardon Attorney, to administer and issue certificates of pardon to eligible applicants.

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