Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday that her office has charged six people in connection with alleged election-related misconduct tied to the 2024 general election, including five noncitizens accused of voting and one U.S. citizen accused of registering an ineligible spouse.
Charges follow multi-year review of referrals
The announcement comes more than a year after Nessel’s office began examining referrals from the Michigan Department of State. According to the attorney general’s office and reporting from Votebeat and WWMT, the probe initially involved 13 potential noncitizen voters referred by the Department of State and expanded to include 25 additional referrals received more recently.
Of those matters, the attorney general’s office says six people were charged, 10 cases were closed without charges and 22 remain under investigation. The six people named in the announcement were arraigned at various times between April and earlier this week, the office said. For all identified noncitizens, the voter registrations have been canceled.
Individuals and alleged offenses
The office identified at least two of the people charged by name.
| Name | Allegation(s) |
|---|---|
| Michael Akioya, 39 | Charged with False Statement on an Absent Voter Ballot Application (MCL 168.759) and False Statement on an Absentee Vote Ballot Return Envelope (MCL 168.761(5)). Akioya is identified as a lawful permanent resident who allegedly registered to vote in 2016 and allegedly voted by absentee ballot in 2024. |
| Kimberley DiDonato, 60 | Charged with Election Forgery (MCL 168.933a(a)) and Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (MCL 752.797(3)(d)). DiDonato is a U.S. citizen who is accused of registering her lawful permanent resident husband online and later canceling that registration after receiving a voter card in his name; she has said she was "testing" the registration system, according to the attorney general’s office. |
News releases and reporting indicate three of the six charged live in the U.S. as lawful permanent residents, and a fourth is a limited-term alien resident.
Officials emphasize rarity and accountability
In announcing the charges, Nessel said the office is pursuing referrals and holding people accountable when laws are violated. Her statement noted that noncitizen voting is rare in Michigan and across the U.S., but that confirmed instances merit investigation and, where supported by evidence, prosecution.
“We’re upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of non-citizen voters, as rare as they are, and holding bad actors accountable when they refuse to abide by the laws that keep our elections safe and secure,”
The announcement drew responses from national lawmakers focused on election security. House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X that the developments show a threat to election integrity and argued Republicans are working to secure elections.
Legal context and next steps
Michigan law permits only U.S. citizens to vote in state and federal elections. The charges brought by the attorney general’s office include misdemeanors and felonies under state election and criminal statutes. The arraignments reported by the attorney general’s office began in April and continued through this week; additional court proceedings will follow for the defendants who were charged.
- Investigation scope: 38 referrals reviewed or received, of which six resulted in charges so far.
- Registrations: The attorney general’s office says all identified noncitizen voter registrations have been canceled.
- Ongoing cases: 22 matters remain under active investigation.
The charges underscore continuing scrutiny of alleged noncitizen voting, an issue that has drawn heightened attention from lawmakers and election observers in recent years. While election experts and multiple reviews nationally have found illegal noncitizen voting to be rare, the attorney general’s office said the state will continue to investigate and prosecute where evidence supports criminal charges.
Additional information released by the attorney general’s office lists several of the statutes invoked in the charges, including MCL 168.759, MCL 168.761(5), MCL 168.933a(a) and MCL 752.797(3)(d). Prosecutors and defense attorneys will present evidence in upcoming court proceedings tied to these allegations.
WE NEWS will follow court filings and outcomes as the cases proceed and report further developments, including any additional names or charges disclosed by the attorney general’s office.
