The Michigan cases have become part of a larger political argument over election security and noncitizen voting. The charging records also show why the details — including dismissed referrals and unproven allegations — matter as much as the headline.
Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democrats after Michigan’s attorney general charged five noncitizens with allegedly voting illegally or related election-law conduct tied to the state’s 2024 elections. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office announced six total criminal cases, and Johnson’s response has turned those charges into a fresh argument over whether Democrats have done enough to protect election integrity.
The allegations are serious, but they are still allegations. Michigan’s investigation also produced closed cases, referrals involving people who were actually U.S. citizens, and cases in which prosecutors said they could not prove a person knew they were ineligible to vote.
What Michigan prosecutors announced
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said it filed charges against six people after reviewing referrals connected to suspected noncitizen voting and related conduct. The referrals came from the Michigan Secretary of State and involved the November 2024 general election, along with some conduct in other elections and years.
According to CBS Detroit’s account of the announcement, five cases involved people whom prosecutors identify as noncitizens. A sixth case involved a U.S. citizen accused of registering her lawful-permanent-resident husband to vote online while falsely claiming he was a citizen.
Nessel’s office said the state reviewed about 16 referrals from 2025 connected to the 2024 general election. It also examined 22 additional suspected noncitizen-voting or related cases from elections held between 2009 and 2025.
Of 38 cases reviewed, six resulted in charges, 10 were closed without charges, and 22 remained under review, according to the attorney general’s office. The voter registrations at issue in the charged cases have been canceled, the office said.
The charges vary by defendant
The cases are not one single alleged scheme, and the accusations differ substantially. Several involve alleged false registration information or attempted voting, while others concern absentee-ballot paperwork, alleged election forgery, or using a computer to commit a crime.
- Michael Akioya, a lawful permanent resident, was charged with misdemeanor false-statement counts involving an absent-voter ballot application and ballot-return envelope in 2025.
- Kimberley DiDonato, an American citizen, was charged with election forgery and using a computer to commit a crime. Prosecutors allege she registered her noncitizen husband and said she was testing the online system.
- Alondra Harker, identified by the state as a noncitizen limited-term resident, was charged with fraudulent voter registration.
- Harumi Michael, identified as a lawful permanent resident, faces charges including election-law forgery, attempting to vote as an unqualified elector, and making a false voter-registration statement.
- Robert Piva was charged with perjury, attempting to vote as an unqualified elector, and fraudulent registration. Prosecutors said he claimed his actions were an experiment concerning voter fraud.
- Basanth Sadasivian, who prosecutors said was living in the United Kingdom, was charged with attempting to vote as an unqualified elector through a federal absentee-voting application process.
Charges are not findings of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to contest the allegations in court, and the available reporting does not establish the ultimate outcome of any of the cases.
Why Johnson targeted Democrats
Johnson’s criticism reflects a long-running Republican argument that Democratic election policies, including efforts to expand access to registration and voting, can leave systems vulnerable to ineligible voting. The Michigan charges offer a concrete set of allegations for that broader political message.
But the Michigan announcement itself makes a different argument as well: state authorities say the system identified suspicious registrations, referred cases for investigation and canceled registrations when warranted. Nessel, a Democrat, said her office takes election crimes seriously and will prosecute unlawful voting.
That distinction sits at the center of the dispute. Johnson’s response treats the cases as evidence of a policy failure by Democrats. Michigan officials can point to the investigation and prosecutions as evidence that existing checks can surface alleged violations.
Neither position erases the underlying legal question in each case: whether prosecutors can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant was ineligible and knowingly violated election law.
Rare cases, real consequences
Only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections. States generally require registrants to affirm, under penalty of law, that they are citizens and otherwise eligible. A false citizenship claim on voting paperwork can expose a person to criminal penalties and, for noncitizens, potentially serious immigration consequences.
Michigan’s review provides important scale. Six charges from 38 investigated matters is not evidence that every referral was valid, nor does it establish the breadth of noncitizen voting statewide. At the same time, the cases show that even a small number of suspected violations can trigger extensive investigation and prosecution.
The attorney general’s office said two referrals involved people who turned out to be U.S. citizens. One involved a complicated international adoption, while another involved a member of a federally recognized American Indian community born in Canada whose documentation used dual-citizenship language.
Six other inquiries were closed because prosecutors said they could not prove the people knew or believed they were unable to vote. That detail matters because criminal election cases typically depend on evidence not only of an ineligible vote or registration, but also of legally culpable intent or knowledge.
The unanswered questions ahead
The immediate next step is court process, not a final verdict. The cases are pending in district courts across Michigan, including Oakland, St. Joseph and Macomb counties. Prosecutors will have to present evidence supporting each individual charge, and defense lawyers may challenge both the facts and the state’s interpretation of the law.
There are also 22 matters still under review. It is unclear whether any will lead to further charges, be closed without action, or reveal administrative mistakes rather than criminal conduct.
The political fight is likely to outlast the prosecutions. Johnson’s criticism gives Republicans a new example in their push for tighter election rules, while Democrats and Michigan election officials are likely to emphasize that investigations, referrals and prosecutions are functioning as intended.
The clearest takeaway is narrower than either party’s broadest rhetoric: Michigan has alleged unlawful conduct in six cases, including five involving people described as noncitizens, but the state’s own review also found unsubstantiated referrals and unresolved cases. The courts, not the political reaction, will determine what the charged defendants actually did.
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