Sidney Powell summoned to Detroit for sanctions hearing

Sidney Powell and other attorneys who defended former President Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election have been summoned for a sanctions hearing in a Michigan federal court.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker ordered the attorneys to appear at a hearing on July 6, according to court documents.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel first asked the court to sanction Powell in late January over a lawsuit challenging the 2020 presidential election results in the state.

The suit, King v. Whitmer, which was filed in November, alleged that President Biden’s victory in the state was the result of fraud. The plaintiffs asked the state’s electors to be disqualified in favor of declaring Trump the winner of the election.

Parker sided with the state about a month later, writing in an opinion that the relief being sought “would disenfranchise the votes of the more than 5.5 million Michigan citizens who, with dignity, hope, and a promise of a voice, participated in the 2020 General Election.”

Nessel also asked the court to sanction Greg Rohl, Scott Hagerstrom and Stefanie Junttila. 

Nessel later filed court documents in April to bring forward claims Powell made in a $1.3 billion lawsuit brought against her by voting technology company Dominion Voting Systems.

The attorney general said in a statement at the time that Powell admitted that no reasonable person would have concluded her statements were fact.

“As lawyers, fidelity to the law is paramount,” Nessel said at the time. “These individuals worked to further conspiracy theories in an effort to erode public trust in government and dismantle our systems of democracy.  Their actions are inexcusable.”  

When Michigan certified its 2020 presidential election results, Biden led by more than 150,000 votes.

Prior to Nessel’s actions, the city of Detroit asked the court to sanction Powell over her election claims.