Judge Sanctions Pro-Trump Election Lawyers

Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, and seven other lawyers who sued to block President Biden's election victory in Michigan have been sanctioned by a federal judge. The lawsuit filed by the pro-Trump lawyers sought to decertify Michigan's vote, charging that public officials had illegally manipulated ballots in order to help Biden win the presidency, the Hill reports. "Plaintiffs' attorneys, many of whom seek donations from the public to fund lawsuits like this one ... have the ability to pay this sanction," District Judge Linda Parker wrote.

The judge had already ordered each of the lawyers to undergo 12 hours of legal education, including six hours in election law, per the AP. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson—all Democrats—have moved to have four of the lawyers disbarred, including Powell, who's licensed in Texas. The other three lawyers are admitted to practice in Michigan. About $22,000 is to be paid to Whitmer and Benson, with the other $153,000 going to the City of Detroit. Parker has called the attempt to toss out Michigan's election results "a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process." (More Sydney Powell stories.)