Annika Lilja
Jul 24, 2023
The Michigan "Fake Elector" Scheme, Israel's Judicial Overhaul Plan, Ron DeSantis, Alabama's Congressional Maps
Top US Story: On Tuesday, Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel (D), announced felony charges against 16 Republicans for participating in Michigan's “fake elector” scheme. The scheme was aimed at overturning the 2020 election results, which concluded that Trump had lost the election.
Each of the defendants has been charged with eight felony counts, including election forgery, for their role in signing paperwork that falsely certified that Trump had won Michigan’s votes, claiming that they were Michigan’s “duly elected and qualified electors.” Furthermore, the “fake electors” sent the document to federal officials claiming they met in Michigan’s state capitol (where they are required to meet). However, the group met secretly in the basement of the Michigan Republican Party’s headquarters.
As yet another* Trump indictment looms, the investigation into these “fake electors” is something to look out for. Trump’s political future very well might be determined by how his legal troubles play out.
*Trump announced on Tuesday that he received a letter confirming that he was a target in a federal investigation looking into his attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election (this would include looking into his role in the January 6th attacks).
Top Global Story:
On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters marched on Jerusalem after 29 weeks of mass demonstrations. The Prime Minister of Israel,
Benjamin Netanyahu, made a sudden speech on Thursday, promoting his contentious plan to limit the power of the judiciary in Israel, thus leading to the events on Saturday.
Lawmakers are set to vote on Monday about a contentious law that would prevent the court from using the legal standard of “reasonableness” to block government decisions.
The argument for the new law: Prime Minister Netanyahu and his allies say that this law will give elected lawmakers more power by reducing judicial oversight. They argue this law is necessary because the Court is overstepping its authority.
The argument against the new law:
Critics of the judicial overhaul plan argue that this law will undermine Israel’s democracy by removing a significant check on the government’s actions.
Update on the US 2024 Elections: For this wrap-up, ATP will cover two stories related to the US 2024 elections.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) seems to be struggling in terms of messaging leading up to his presidential run. According to the New York Times, allies of DeSantis are complaining that there isn’t a coherent message about why Republicans would vote for him over Trump. DeSantis’ advisors are promising to shift their messaging, turning his candidacy into an “insurgent” run. FEC campaign reports also showed unsustainable levels of spending within his campaign.
On Friday, the Republican supermajority in Alabama’s State Legislature pushed through a new congressional map, one that will test a judicial mandate placed on the state to create a second majority-Black district in Alabama or something “close to it.” The new map comes a month after a surprise Supreme Court ruling that found that Alabama’s pre-existing map violated civil rights laws, as it diluted the political power of Black voters.
The big thing to note about this is that the new map that has been done up ensures that none of Alabama's six white Republican incumbents would need to challenge one another in a primary to keep their seat.
This proposal is not in effect yet, and won’t be until a federal court approves it. According to the New York Times, a hearing will be held on it next month.