A Las Vegas judge said prosecutors never proved their case against six Republicans.
Six Nevada Republicans just got some very good news. A Las Vegas judge threw out the criminal case against them this week. The case was about the so-called “fake electors” scheme from the 2020 election.
Now a judge says the state never proved its case in the first place.
District Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed the forgery charges against Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald and five others. The case centered on a certificate the group signed back in December 2020.
They gathered outside the Nevada Legislature and signed paperwork declaring themselves electors for Donald Trump.
Joe Biden had been declared the winner in Nevada by about 30,000 votes, so this move raised eyebrows.
But Judge Holthus said prosecutors did not prove these Republicans intended to trick anyone.
She also found something more serious. Prosecutors withheld evidence from the grand jury that could have helped clear the defendants. That is called exculpatory evidence, and leaving it out is a real problem in any criminal case.
Holthus wrote that the state's evidence of fraudulent intent was “at best, minimal.”
She said that made the missing evidence even more damaging to the fairness of the process.
In her words:
“the failure to present exculpatory evidence addressing that same element has a particularly substantial impact on the integrity of the grand jury's determination.”
Judge Holthus had signaled doubts about this case for a while.
Earlier this year she told attorneys:
“I'm struggling. I'm back and forth. I could probably argue both your sides.”
This week, she made her call.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
This case was never just about paperwork. It was also about whether Nevada's Democratic Attorney General, Aaron Ford, could use the power of his office to go after his political opponents.
Ford is now running for governor. Critics have long argued this prosecution looked more like a campaign tool than a real legal case.
Nevada Republicans have said for years this case was political theater dressed up as law enforcement. Now, a judge just found that the evidence did not support the charges at all.
What Critics Are Saying
Aaron Ford is not backing down. He called the ruling “wrong” and said his office plans to appeal.
In a statement, he said:
“My office will continue to work to hold these fake electors accountable for their actions which attempted to undermine our democracy and erode trust in our elections.”
Attorneys for the defendants pushed back hard on the appeal plan. Richard Wright, who represents McDonald, called it “a political decision.”
He noted the attorney general's office could have taken the case to trial in Carson City but chose to drop it right before trial instead.
Attorney Monti Levy, joined by Wright and Maggie McLetchie, put it plainly in a statement:
“Jointly, we all intend to defend our clients vigorously throughout this appeal, if they file one, and we believe that Mary Kay Holthus has made the absolute correct decision in this case.”
What Comes Next
The fight is not over. Ford's office says it will appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court. That court already reversed one of Holthus's earlier rulings in this same case back in 2024, so the outcome is not guaranteed either way. A similar case in Carson City has also been dismissed.
This case will likely stay in the headlines through the rest of the 2026 governor's race. Ford is running against Lombardo in his gubernatorial re-election. Every twist in this legal saga becomes campaign fodder.
What Conservatives Can Do
Nevadans who care about fair prosecutions should keep watching this case as it heads toward appeal. Stay informed on how the Nevada Supreme Court handles it.
And most importantly, remember that elections have consequences.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
