Michigan Republicans punishing GOP official who resisted pressure to steal election for Trump

Michigan Republicans are moving to punish a GOP election official who cast the deciding vote to certify Joe Biden's election win.

Aaron Van Langeveld's term on the Board of State Canvassers ends Jan. 31, but his fellow Republicans have decided not to nominate him to serve again and have instead proposed three prominent party activists to take his place after he rejected unfounded GOP claims about alleged fraud and joined the two Democrats to certify Michigan's election results, reported The Detroit News.

"My conscience is clear, and I am confident that my decision is on the right side of the law and history," Van Langevelde said Monday in a statement. "Time will tell that those who spread misinformation and tried to overturn the election were wrong, and they should be held responsible for the chaos and confusion they have caused."

Republicans proposed replacing him with Linda Lee Tarver, who was involved in a lawsuit asking the GOP-controlled legislature to overturn the election loss for President Donald Trump; Tony Daunt, director of the conservative Michigan Freedom Fund; and Tori Sachs, a political strategist and executive director of Michigan Rising Action.

"Should you require any additional information, please contact my office," Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox wrote Jan. 8 in a letter to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has until Wednesday to pick one of the nominees.

Van Langevelde told the newspaper that political leaders pressured the state board to delay certification, although they knew there was no legal way to do so, and he said that caused "constitutional chaos" and brought shame on Michigan.

"It was clear in November that the political games needed to stop — it is even more clear now," he said. "The United States Capitol has been sacked, and our state Capitol is under threat. The country is torn along partisan lines, and people have died because of it. It's time for our leaders to tell the truth, even when it is politically inconvenient, and to put our country and the people over party politics."