Stefanie Lambert, a pro-Trump attorney from Michigan, has been charged in a state investigation related to alleged attempts to tamper with voting machines following the 2020 presidential elections.
Ms. Lambert has been charged with four felonies: conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine; undue possession of a voting machine; conspiracy to commit unauthorized access to a computer system; and willfully damaging a voting machine. Arraigned before a judge on Thursday afternoon, Ms. Lambert has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was released on a personal bond.
The charges against Ms. Lambert were unveiled on Thursday. Each charge has a maximum prison term of up to five years.
Ms. Lambert has repeatedly questioned the results of the 2020 election which was certified for Joe Biden over Donald Trump and had also filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s election results.
Prosecutors allege that Lambert and a group of people illegally acquired five voting machines from several counties, took the machines to a hotel, and accessed them to conduct tests.
In March, D.J. Hilson, the special prosecutor investigating the case, had convened a secret grand jury to consider whether Ms. Lambert should be charged. Ms. Lambert was subpoenaed by the jury. She claimed that Mr. Hilson misunderstood state laws and argued that any person can access a voting machine provided they have permission from an election clerk.
Mr. Hilson then approached a court to determine what would constitute the improper possession of voting machines. In July, a judge from Oakland County sided with Mr. Hilson, stating that only the secretary of state can authorize people to possess voting equipment. This paved the way for the current charges against Ms. Lambert.
“These charges were authorized by an independent citizens grand jury,” Mr. Hilson said in a statement, according to the Detroit Free Press. “Protecting the election process is of the utmost importance for our state and country,” he added, while calling the prosecution “an important step in that direction.”
Michael Smith, Ms. Lambert’s lawyer, dismissed the charges. “My client was a zealous advocate for her clients, and she did not violate the law and intends to sue Hilson for malicious prosecution,” he said in a statement.
“Hilson failed to advise the judge and jury of statutes, constitutional law, and legal precedent set by a higher court. He has a continuous obligation to update the court of the law and has yet to do so as of the date and time of arraignment of Stefanie Lambert.”
Ms. Lambert is the third and final person to be charged by Mr. Hilson in his investigation related to the tampering of voting machines. Earlier, two Michigan Republicans were charged in the case—former Michigan attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno and former state Rep. Daire Rendon.
Mr. DePerno was charged with undue possession of a voting machine and unauthorized access to computers. Ms. Rendon was charged with conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine and false pretenses. Both were arraigned and released.
In a statement, Mr. DePerno’s lawyer said that his client “categorically denies any wrongdoing” and “looks forward to the date when his innocence will be demonstrated in a court of law.”
