--- title: "Michigan charges five non-citizens and one citizen over 2024 election voting" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-13T21:05:55.789Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T20:22:51.000Z" updated: "2026-08-13T23:30:14.988Z" trust_score: 80 critic_score: 75 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T23:30:14.274665+00:00" --- # Michigan charges five non-citizens and one citizen over 2024 election voting *Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against six individuals, including five non-citizens who voted in the 2024 election* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 80 of 100, higher is better. Detroit Free Press report provides named sources, documents, and specifics. - Craft 75 of 100, higher is better. Most outlets quote affected parties or provide context. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are lively but not exaggerated beyond the facts. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged five non-citizens with voting in the 2024 election and one U.S. citizen with registering a non-citizen spouse. - The charges follow 38 referrals from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office, with 22 cases still under review and 10 closed without charges. - All five non-citizens charged cast ballots in the 2024 election, according to Nessel’s office, while the citizen’s registration was cancelled before a vote was cast. - The cases include a mix of felony and misdemeanor charges, with potential prison sentences ranging from 90 days to 10 years. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office charged five non-U.S. citizens with voting in the 2024 presidential election. The charges were announced on 13 August 2026, following a review of cases referred by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office. The referrals began in 2025 and included 38 suspected instances of non-citizen voting. Of the 38 cases, six resulted in criminal charges. Ten were closed without charges, and 22 remain under review. The five non-citizens charged are Michael Akioya, Alondra Harker, Harumi Michael, Robert Piva and Basanth Sadasivan. All five cast ballots in the 2024 election, according to Nessel’s office. A sixth individual, U.S. citizen Kimberly DiDonato, was charged with registering her non-citizen spouse to vote. The charges include felonies and misdemeanors. Harumi Michael and Robert Piva each face multiple felony counts, including election forgery and attempting to vote while unqualified. Michael Akioya and Alondra Harker face misdemeanor charges. Basanth Sadasivan, who lives in the United Kingdom, is charged with a single felony count. DiDonato faces two felony counts related to election forgery and using a computer to commit a crime. More than 5.7 million ballots were cast in Michigan during the 2024 election. Nessel’s office stated that non-citizen voting is rare. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said the cases demonstrate the system’s ability to investigate and hold individuals accountable for illegal activity. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the defence attorney’s statement for Kimberly DiDonato, which clarified that no vote was cast in her case. None of the centre-rated digests named the individuals charged or specified the penalties they face. The left-rated report was the only one to include the total number of ballots cast in Michigan in 2024. ## Who covered it Shares of the 18 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 11% (2) - Centre: 39% (7) - Right: 50% (9) 0 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T23:30:14.274665+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-14T00:00:08.983Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Detroit Free Press, the only left-rated report printed in full, led on the charges against the five non-citizens and the U.S. citizen. It included the names of all six individuals charged, the specific charges they face, and the potential penalties. The report quoted Nessel’s statement that her office takes election crimes seriously and prosecutes them to the fullest extent of the law. - The report also carried the defence attorney’s statement for DiDonato, who claimed the registration was a test of the system’s security and was cancelled before a vote was cast. It noted that voter registrations for non-citizens were cancelled regardless of whether charges were filed. The report included the total number of ballots cast in Michigan in 2024 and the rarity of non-citizen voting, as stated by election officials. ### Centre - The seven centre-rated digests all reported the charges against the five non-citizens and the U.S. citizen. They included the total number of cases referred (38), the number charged (six), and the number still under review (22). CBS News and WJBK noted that 10 cases were closed without charges. - The digests did not name the individuals charged or specify the penalties they face. They did not include the defence attorney’s statement for DiDonato or the total number of ballots cast in Michigan in 2024. The Macomb Daily’s digest described the charges as part of an update on “numerous voter-fraud cases,” while union-bulletin.com and The Detroit News mentioned the broader context of scrutiny of voter rolls. ### Right - The six right-rated digests all reported the charges against the five non-citizens and the U.S. citizen. They included the total number of cases referred (38) and the number charged (six). The Gateway Pundit and RedState framed the charges as contradicting Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s assurances about clean voter rolls and secure elections. - The Gateway Pundit’s digest linked the charges to a previous report it published, claiming the cases involved individuals on a Department of Homeland Security “Worst of the Worst” list. The Midwesterner and RedState both mentioned Benson’s assurances about voter list integrity. None of the right-rated digests named the individuals charged, specified the penalties, or included the total number of ballots cast in Michigan in 2024. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 1 - mixed: 7 - high: 7 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/us/speaker-johnson-slams-dems-after-noncitizens-charged-illegally-voting-battleground-state) — Speaker Johnson slams Dems after noncitizens charged with illegally voting in battleground state - [WABC](https://wabcradio.com/2026/08/13/michigan-ag-charges-five-noncitizens-over-2024-voting) — Michigan AG Charges Five Noncitizens Over 2024 Voting - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/running-interference-jocelyn-benson-mi-dem-ag-nessel) — RUNNING INTERFERENCE FOR JOCELYN BENSON? MI Dem AG Nessel Charges 6 In Non-Citizen Voting Cases After Gateway Pundit Exposed SIX Registered Voters On DHS “Worst of the Worst” List—Iranian on List Was Recently Featured in James O’Keefe Video * The Gateway Pundit * by Patty McMurray - [Newsmax](https://newsmax.com/us/michigan-voting-fraud-noncitizens/2026/08/13/id/1266009) — Michigan Charges 5 Noncitizens in 2024 Voting Cases - [Audacy](https://audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/5-non-citizens-charged-for-voting-in-2024-elections-in-michigan) — 5 non-citizens charged for voting in 2024 elections in Michigan - [Detroit Free Press](https://freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/13/non-us-citizen-vote-presidential-election-charges-michigan/91284900007) — 5 non-citizens charged with voting in 2024 election, Nessel announces - [union-bulletin.com](https://union-bulletin.com/news/national/5-noncitizens-charged-after-voting-in-michigans-2024-election/article_1943661e-2f4d-520d-847b-48c052225158.html) — 5 noncitizens charged after voting in Michigan's 2024 election - [Twitchy](https://twitchy.com/dougp/2026/08/13/mi-ag-charges-noncitizens-for-doing-what-the-states-sos-assured-everybody-could-not-happen-n2431267) — MI AG Charges Noncitizens for Doing What the State's SOS Assured Everybody Could Not Happen - [Lodinews.com](https://lodinews.com/news/national/article_7b37ffaf-d0c2-5957-bbb2-da6f79ba7947.html) — 5 noncitizens charged after voting in Michigan's 2024 election - [themidwesterner.news](https://themidwesterner.news/2026/08/ag-nessel-charges-noncitizens-for-voting-in-2024-michigan-election-despite-sos-bensons-repeated-assurances-of-clean-voter-lists) — AG Nessel charges noncitizens for voting in 2024 Michigan election despite SOS Benson’s repeated assurances of ‘clean voter lists’ - [The Macomb Daily](https://macombdaily.com/2026/08/13/five-non-citizens-accused-by-nessel-of-illegally-voting-in-2024) — Five non-citizens accused by Nessel of illegally voting in 2024 - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/detroit/news/5-non-citizens-charged-illegally-voting-michigan-elections) — 5 non-citizens charged for illegally voting in Michigan elections - [RedState](https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2026/08/13/michigan-ag-charges-six-non-citizens-for-that-thing-that-never-happens-in-elections-n2205571) — MI AG Charges Non-Citizens for That Thing SOS Jocelyn Benson Claims Never Happens in Elections - [The Detroit News](https://detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/13/dana-nessel-charges-five-non-citizens-for-voting-in-michigan-2024-election/91284684007) — Five non-citizens charged after voting in Michigan's 2024 election - [Just the News](https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/michigan-ag-charges-5-non-citizens-voting-2024-elections) — Michigan AG charges 5 non-citizens with voting in 2024 elections - [WJBK](https://fox2detroit.com/news/5-non-citizens-charged-voting-2024-michigan-election) — 5 non-citizens charged with voting in 2024 Michigan general election - [WWMT](https://wwmt.com/news/state/five-noncitizens-one-us-citizen-charged-voting-in-2024-elections-michigan-attorney-general-dana-nessel-ballot-application-registered) — Five noncitizens charged for voting in 2024 elections in Michigan, one citizen charged - [ArcaMax Publishing](https://arcamax.com/currentnews/newsheadlines/s-4275033) — 5 noncitizens charged after voting in Michigan's 2024 election ## Questions **How many non-citizens were charged with voting in Michigan’s 2024 election?** Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged five non-U.S. citizens with voting in the 2024 presidential election. The charges were announced on 13 August 2026, following referrals from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office. **What penalties do the charged individuals face?** The charges include felonies and misdemeanors, with potential prison sentences ranging from 90 days to 10 years. For example, election forgery carries a maximum penalty of five years, while attempting to vote while unqualified can result in up to four years. **How many cases of suspected non-citizen voting were referred to prosecutors?** Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office referred 38 cases of suspected non-citizen voting to prosecutors. Of these, six resulted in charges, 10 were closed without charges, and 22 remain under review. **Did any of the charged individuals cast a ballot?** All five non-citizens charged cast ballots in the 2024 election, according to Nessel’s office. The U.S. citizen charged, Kimberly DiDonato, registered her non-citizen spouse to vote, but the registration was cancelled before a vote was cast. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Michigan charges five non-citizens and one citizen over 2024 election voting", https://mediabias.news/politics/michigan-charges-five-non-citizens-and-one-citizen-over-2024-election-voting