A Michigan judge warned that disparaging online comments about witnesses could lead to contempt charges, highlighting concerns about witness intimidation in a high-profile case involving so-called "fake electors."
District Court Judge Kristin Simmons addressed the issue on Tuesday during a hearing. She pointed out that making negative comments about witnesses on social media platforms like Facebook could be seen as an attempt to intimidate.
The case centers around 16 individuals, including former Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock. They are accused of attempting to send unauthorized Electoral College votes to Congress in an effort to overturn Michigan's 2020 presidential election results.
According to Bridge Michigan, attorney Nicholas Somberg, representing Maddock, came under scrutiny from the judge for his social media activity.
Somberg had labeled a cooperating witness, James Renner, as the "AG’s star snitch" in a post. Renner had agreed to testify against his co-defendants as part of a plea deal after initially facing charges himself.
"It’s no secret he’s an informant or snitch or whatever — these words are interchangeable," Somberg told Bridge Michigan. He defended his choice of words, arguing that they were not meant to be disparaging but descriptive of Renner's role in the case.
Judge Simmons addressed the comments, calling them 'juvenile and ridiculous' and emphasizing that court time should not be consumed by issues related to social media behavior.
The controversy arose during a preliminary examination to determine if the accused knowingly committed forgery in their attempt to influence the election outcome. The hearing also addressed the broader implications of such actions on the integrity of the electoral process.
Maddock has defended her role in the scheme by insisting she was not a "fake elector."
"We didn’t do anything wrong," she said last year. "We know we didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not fake electors. I was a duly elected Trump elector. There was no forgery involved."
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