LANSING -Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denied a motion (PDF) that sought to reopen the appeal by sanctioned attorneys Gregory J. Rohl, Brandon Johnson, Howard Kleinhendler, Sidney Powell, Julia Haller, and Scott Hagerstrom of a meritless challenge to the November 2020 presidential election. The Court also barred the attorneys from filing further pleadings unless approved by the Court. The Department of Attorney General will now pursue payment of the sanctions the attorneys owe the State of Michigan.
“Any attorney who knowingly makes false claims in court undermines the rule of law,” Nessel said. “The attorneys involved in this meritless election lawsuit betrayed their professional obligations, and this stunt is just their latest attempt to evade sanctions they owe the State of Michigan. I’m glad the Court rejected this frivolous attempt to skirt justice.”
In June of 2023, a panel of the Sixth Circuit upheld the monetary and disciplinary sanctions imposed against the attorneys by U.S. District Court Judge Linda V. Parker in August of 2021. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing request for the attorneys seeking to overturn sanctions. The Supreme Court previously denied petitions for certiorari and for rehearing filed by the attorneys in February and March.
