MICHIGAN’s top Republican lawmakers said after meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday that they didn’t receive any new information that could overturn the election results in the state.
Michigan’s Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House of Representatives Speaker Lee Chatfield said in a joint statement that they have no reason to doubt that Democrat Joe Biden won the state on November 4.
“We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors, just as we have said throughout this election,” the lawmakers said, according to Reuters.
The legislators added that the state’s certification process should be “free from threats and intimidation” and threatened to prosecute allegations of foul play.
“Allegations of fraudulent behavior should be taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and if proven, prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the statement said.
“And the candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan’s electoral votes. These are simple truths that should provide confidence I our elections.”
In a last-ditch effort to contest the 2020 election results, Trump invited Shirkey and Chatfield to the White House for a meeting on Friday.
The GOP leaders said they discussed coronavirus relief during their meeting with the president and delivered a letter asking for more federal aid to fight the pandemic.
They also said they had accepted Trump’s invitation to Washington, DC, “as we would accept an invitation from any sitting President if asked to meet at the White House.”
State House Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth was also scheduled to attend, a person familiar with the matter told CNN ahead of the chat.
Earlier this week, the network reported that Trump called Shirkey on Wednesday night to extend the White House invitation to him and Chatfield.
Both legislators have said they’ll honor the state’s popular vote and stick with the process of how elections in Michigan are selected.
Biden currently has a 154,187 vote lead over Trump in the Wolverine State, according to CNN.
Trump is also floating the possibility of inviting Republican state lawmakers from Pennsylvania to the White House, two sources told the network.
It’s not clear if those invitations have been extended yet, but the president has expressed interest in doing so as he tries to interrupt the vote certification process.
Pennsylvania counties must certify their ballot totals by Monday.