Nevada Judge Dismisses Case Against Six GOP Alternate Electors in 2020 Election Dispute

A Clark County District Court judge has dismissed criminal charges against six Nevada Republicans accused of submitting a false certificate claiming Donald Trump won the state's 2020 presidential election. On August 13, 2026, Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence of fraudulent intent, describing the evidence as 'at best, minimal.' The defendants, including Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald and other party officials, maintained their actions were 'political theater' to highlight alleged election irregularities rather than an attempt to deceive officials. The ruling noted that the certificates were not accepted or acted upon by receiving agencies and that exculpatory evidence had been withheld from the grand jury. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, has announced plans to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. This marks the latest in a series of dismissals or setbacks for similar 'fake electors' cases in states including Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia. The case originated from actions taken in December 2020, when the group signed the certificate in a public ceremony broadcast online, following Trump's loss in Nevada by over 30,000 votes. Mainstream reporting confirms the political context, with Ford also running for governor against Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.