--- title: "Nevada judge dismisses case against six Republicans over 2020 fake elector certificate" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-13T23:46:11.153Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T23:16:24.000Z" updated: "2026-08-14T01:00:33.967Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-14T00:45:21.816360+00:00" --- # Nevada judge dismisses case against six Republicans over 2020 fake elector certificate *The decision follows similar dismissals in Michigan, Georgia and Arizona, with only Wisconsin’s case still ongoing* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate the dismissal and key details. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and context present; some digests lack depth. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured and proportional. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A Nevada judge dismissed charges against six Republicans accused of submitting a false 2020 electoral certificate for Donald Trump. - The defendants argued the certificate was political theatre; prosecutors said it was meant to deceive officials into counting it on 6 January 2021. - Similar cases have been dismissed in Michigan, Georgia and Arizona, with only Wisconsin’s case still active. - Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running for governor, brought the charges and plans to appeal. On 15 August 2026, a Nevada judge dismissed the case against six Republicans accused of submitting a false electoral certificate in 2020. The certificate declared Donald Trump the winner of Nevada’s six electoral votes, though Joe Biden won the state by more than 30,000 votes. The defendants, including former Nevada Republican Party chair Michael McDonald and former Clark County Republican Party chair Jesse Law, were charged with forgery and offering a false instrument for filing. The six gathered outside the Nevada Legislature after the election and signed the certificate in a ceremony broadcast online. Prosecutors argued the document was intended to be mistaken for an official count that then-Vice President Mike Pence would accept on 6 January 2021. The defendants’ attorneys said it was political theatre, meant to preserve their right to challenge the election results without intent to deceive. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running for governor, brought the charges in 2023. His office said it plans to appeal the dismissal. The case was heard in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and leans Democratic. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests from any side mentioned the cost of the prosecution or the length of time the case took to reach dismissal. The full reports did not quote the judge’s written ruling or specify which legal standard the prosecutors failed to meet. ## Who covered it Shares of the 29 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 59% (17) - Centre: 34% (10) - Right: 7% (2) 0 of 29 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-14T00:45:21.816360+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 2 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-14T01:15:06.402Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated outlets reported that a Nevada judge dismissed a case against six Republicans accused of submitting a false electoral certificate in 2020. All 12 outlets carried the dismissal, and 11 of the digests led on the accusation that the certificate falsely declared Donald Trump the winner of Nevada’s electoral votes. The Associated Press report, the only full article in the sample, named the defendants: Michael McDonald, Jesse Law, and four others. - The Associated Press report stated that the defendants argued the certificate was "political theater" with no intent to deceive, while prosecutors claimed it was meant to be mistaken for real electoral votes. The report also noted that similar cases in Michigan, Georgia, and a federal prosecution had been dismissed, and that Arizona’s case was temporarily dropped but intended for re-filing. - None of the digests mentioned the defendants’ argument that the certificate was symbolic. Only the Associated Press report included the detail that the ceremony was broadcast online and used as evidence, or that the case involved charges of forgery and offering a false instrument for filing. ### Centre - The three centre-rated digests from Washington Top News, Battlefords NOW and the Las Vegas Review-Journal led on the judge’s finding that prosecutors did not prove the charges. The Las Vegas Review-Journal digest said the six were accused of trying to hand Nevada’s electoral votes to Trump after he lost. The Washington Top News full report carried the same details as the Associated Press, including the defendants’ intent argument and the prosecutors’ case. ### Right - The right-rated coverage led on the dismissal of the case against six Nevada Republicans accused of submitting a false electoral certificate in 2020. Both digests reported the judge’s decision and identified the defendants as Republicans. - The Washington Times and plaindealerin.com digests described the certificate as "bogus" or "fake" and noted the defendants’ attempt to keep Donald Trump in office after his 2020 loss. Neither digest mentioned the legal reasoning behind the dismissal. - Neither digest included statements from prosecutors, the judge, or Democratic officials. The focus remained on the defendants’ party affiliation and the outcome of the case. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. 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. - mixed: 1 - high: 21 - veryHigh: 7 ## 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 - [PBS NewsHour](https://pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-2020-election-certificate) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging 2020 election certificate - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/nevada-fake-electors-2677704461) — Another attempt to hold fake electors accountable falls apart in court - [The Record](https://troyrecord.com/2026/08/13/nevada-fake-electors) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Bay Today](https://baytoday.ca/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664594) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [CambridgeToday.ca](https://cambridgetoday.ca/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664594) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Ckpg Today](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2026/08/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-2) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Oakville News](https://oakvillenews.org/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664594) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Weatherford Democrat](https://weatherforddemocrat.com/texas/news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_8a2202b1-838f-578d-a823-9c415a3857d2.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Richmond Register](https://richmondregister.com/ap/national/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_46fc34c8-e888-561c-8eed-572cba7a0119.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/08/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664472) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Orillia Matters](https://orilliamatters.com/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664472) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Battlefords NOW](https://battlefordsnow.com/2026/08/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_ca9705da-1dee-526f-a46d-cb706e9eb3ca.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [SooToday.com](https://sootoday.com/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664472) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [meadowlakeNOW](https://meadowlakenow.com/2026/08/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Sudbury](https://sudbury.com/world-news/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election-12664472) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Las Vegas Review-Journal](https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-fake-electors-case-dismissed-las-vegas-judge-says-prosecutors-did-not-prove-charges-3863550) — Nevada ‘fake electors’ case dismissed. Las Vegas judge says prosecutors did not prove charges. - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/nevada-fake-electors-2020-election-0a73cc384868db69f9dc50e0644088a5) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Daily Record](https://dailyrecordnews.com/ap_news/us/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_01c495fb-f2e7-58b4-89a9-1a93ee8b1678.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-electors-accused-forging-certificate-2020) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Cecil Daily](https://cecildaily.com/ap/nation/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_baf38c38-3392-5ec5-b30b-2f9e3eb278ea.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [plaindealerin.com](https://plaindealerin.com/news/wire/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_28abbdf9-1cd9-5190-a66f-1a5553d1e7ca.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/world/united-states/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_eaa5edb4-9e22-543c-a452-fd9213003521.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/news/world/united-states/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election/article_4238f638-6fd3-5ed7-9334-812e23f25f82.html) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/08/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-of-forging-certificate-in-2020-election) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election - [Las Vegas Sun](https://lasvegassun.com/news/2026/aug/13/judge-drops-nevada-case-against-electors-accused-o) — Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election ## Questions **Who were the six Republicans charged in Nevada?** The six included Michael McDonald, former chair of the Nevada Republican Party, and Jesse Law, former chair of the Clark County Republican Party. The other four were not named in the reports. They were accused of submitting a false electoral certificate in 2020. **Why was the Nevada case dismissed?** The judge ruled prosecutors did not prove the charges. The case turned on whether the defendants intended to deceive officials into accepting the false certificate. The judge’s written ruling was not quoted in any report. **Are there other fake electors cases still open?** Only Wisconsin’s case is still ongoing. Similar cases in Michigan, Georgia and Arizona have been dismissed, and a federal case against Donald Trump was dropped after his 2024 election victory. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Nevada judge dismisses case against six Republicans over 2020 fake elector certificate", https://mediabias.news/politics/nevada-judge-dismisses-case-against-six-republicans-over-2020-fake-elector-certi