U.S. District Judge Linda Parker in Detroit is considering financial penalties or other sanctions today against some Trump lawyers who signed onto a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s elections last fall.
That lawsuit alleged widespread voter fraud and was voluntarily dropped when the judge found nothing but “speculation and conjecture” that votes were destroyed or switched from Trump to Biden. Michigan’s vote went to Biden by 2.8 percentage points.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six Republican voters who wanted Parker to decertify Michigan’s election results and impound voting machines. The judge declined, calling the request “stunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach.”
Governor Whitmer and the City of Detroit now want the plaintiffs and attorneys, most of them from Detroit, but also include Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, to face the consequences of pursuing frivolous claims. The roles of Powell and Wood are unclear, and according to the docket, they never filed a formal appearance in the case.
Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are seeking $11,000 in legal fees for the state, while Detroit is asking the judge to remove any fundraising funds earned by post-election campaigns. Detroit also wants disciplinary measures for the lawyers in their respective states.
The hearing is currently underway in Linda Parker’s virtual court via Zoom.