Prosecutors in at least two states are probing forged documents submitted to the National Archives falsely awarding Electoral College votes to former President Donald Trump, NPR reports.
Attorneys general in Michigan and New Mexico say they have referred their findings to federal prosecutors.
"Election laws are the foundation of our democracy and must be respected," New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas told NPR.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel accused those behind the forged certificates of potentially violating forgery and conspiracy against the US laws.
Released documents show that Republicans in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin also sent in fake certificates.
Jan. 6 committee probes too:
The House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot is also focusing increasingly on the forged documents.
The committee last week subpoenaed former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Trump adviser Boris Ephsteyn, both of whom were heavily involved in the scheme.
"We are concerned that documents have been filed saying they were individuals responsible for conducting and certifying elections, and they are not," Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson told CBS. "And when you falsify documents, in most instances, that's a criminal act."
Will anyone face consequences?
But it’s unclear whether those responsible for the forged documents may actually face legal ramifications.
Longtime Republican lawyer Ben Ginsburg told NPR it was “pretty unlikely” anyone involved would see jail time.
"What went on was certainly intentionally misleading," he said. "But I think it is one of those areas probably not contemplated by those who drafted the laws, so the specific statutes are not immediately obvious — as bad as this was."
Ginsburg instead urged Congress to reform the Electoral Count Act, which had vague guidelines for certifying the election results that Trump allies sought to exploit on January 6.
"The key to the electoral system is the integrity of the people involved," Ginsberg said. "There is no way possible to legislate for every kind of bad act. All you can do is firm up the guardrails around the process."
