In a preliminary hearing held in Lansing, Michigan, Republicans testified that former President Donald Trump's campaign had direct involvement in assembling a team to create a false certificate stating that he won the 2020 presidential election. The testimony provided by former Michigan Republican Party Communications Director Tony Zammit shed light on the alleged actions taken by Trump's legal team.

Zammit, speaking during the hearing on Thursday, expressed his belief that individuals such as Trump lawyer Shawn Flynn had taken advantage of those who ended up signing the document. "I thought they were going along with what the lawyers were telling them," Zammit stated, according to The Detroit News. The meeting where these discussions reportedly took place occurred on December 14.

Michigan was a closely contested state in the election, with Joe Biden emerging as the winner by a narrow margin of 2.78 percentage points. It ranked as the seventh-closest state result in the overall election outcome.

Zammit's testimony came in the preliminary hearings of six Republican electors who have been charged with "intent to defraud" by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office. These six individuals were part of a larger group of 16 who attended the December 14 meeting. All 16 have been charged with criminal forgery for signing a document falsely claiming that Trump had won Michigan. This document was subsequently filed with the National Archives and Congress.

Zammit's testimony may complicate efforts to establish that the 16 signatories were fully aware of their actions. "Clearly, they're relying on lawyers from the Trump campaign that are the ones that are telling them what to do," stated Paul Stablein, the lawyer representing charged Republican elector Amy Facchinello, according to the Detroit News.

Zammit also recalled hearing Flynn mention during the meeting, "Can you believe that I have to send this to the secretary of state, the vice president, and the National Archives?" Newsweek has reached out to Flynn for comment but has not received a response yet.

In addition to these developments, former state GOP Chair Laura Cox testified during the hearings that she approved a document stating that Republican electors would cast their votes for Trump if the election result was overturned through a formal process, such as a court decision. Cox emphasized that this action would only occur if the results were invalidated through legal means.

Meanwhile, in a separate ruling, the Michigan Court of Appeals confirmed that it would not prohibit Trump from appearing on the presidential ballot in 2024. The court asserted that the decision of which candidates to include on the ballot rested with the respective political parties rather than the Michigan judiciary. Trump has already indicated his intention to run for the Republican candidacy once again and currently leads in the polls.

As the preliminary hearings continue and more testimonies are presented, the extent of the alleged involvement of the Trump campaign in producing a false election certificate will become clearer.