LANSING, Mich. — The mayor of Wyoming appeared in court via Zoom Thursday morning for his preliminary exam hearing.
Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood is one of 16 people who has been charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel as an alleged false elector following the 2020 November election.
He is charged with eight felonies ranging from conspiracy to commit forgery to election forgery, and could face a maximum of 85 years in prison.
Vanderwood and the 15 other people charged allegedly met in secret below the Republican Party headquarters on Dec. 14, 2020 and signed numerous certificates declaring to act as “duly elected and qualified electors for President and Vice President of the United States of America for the State of Michigan,” according to the state.
We’re told those certificates were later sent to the U.S. Senate and National Archives in an attempt to grant the state’s electoral votes to their preferred candidate over the candidate who won the state.
Constituents in the City of Wyoming have been calling for him to step down from his position since August.
Vanderwood's attorney has said he will not resign and looks forward to being vindicated in Ingham County.
As the hearing was set to begin Thursday morning, attorneys for the state requested to delay the hearing until late January and extend it to two days. The Attorney General's Office told the court there is a number of witnesses and evidence to present. The judge granted the motion.
Vanderwood is now scheduled to appear on January 30th.
