The offices of Michigan’s state lawmakers are closed Monday due to “credible threats of violence,” multiple state congressional leaders confirmed.
Spokespersons for state lawmakers confirmed the closings to The Washington Post Sunday. Since President-elect Joe Biden won the election over President Donald Trump, multiple public officials have received violent threats from people echoing claims that the election was “rigged” or “stolen.”
In response to the continued threats and planned protests, Michigan’s electors, responsible for casting the state’s 16 electoral votes for Biden Monday, will receive police escorts from their cars to the Capitol.
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump rally outside the State Capitol building as votes continue to be counted following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in Lansing, Michigan, U.S., November 7, 2020. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
The heightened security follows weeks of failed attempts to overturn the Michigan’s results, which showed Biden beating Trump in the state by over 150,000 votes. Numerous judges have dismissed Trump-backed suits to overturn the election results in the state, and Trump’s legal team has alleged widespread fraud in Detroit, despite no evidence being presented and Michigan’s state Board of Canvassers certifying the state’s results in November. (RELATED: Trump Team’s Allegations Of Fraud Are Not Supported By Its Own Lawsuits)
The decision to close both the lawmakers’ offices and the Capitol itself was originally made by the Michigan State Capitol Commission, according to The New York Times. The Michigan Democratic Party, which is responsible for overseeing Monday’s vote, agreed with the decision.
Michigan’s state legislature is also closed due to the dozens of state lawmakers and staffers who have tested positive for the coronavirus. At least 12 lawmakers and 37 staffers have tested positive, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Not included in the count is former state Rep. Isaac Robinson, a lawmaker from Detroit who died from coronavirus complications in March.
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