House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday criticized Democrats over election security following charges against noncitizens for allegedly voting in Michigan, asserting that such cases pose a significant threat to the integrity of American elections.
"From New Jersey to Michigan, the evidence continues to mount: Illegal aliens are registering and VOTING in American elections," Johnson stated on X. "Democrats know this — which is why they want OPEN BORDERS and OPPOSE voter ID." He characterized the situation as a "clear and present danger to the integrity of our elections — and our Republic."
Johnson's remarks coincided with an announcement by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel that five non-U.S. citizens and one U.S. citizen are facing election crime charges. These charges stem from a review of 38 suspected cases of non-citizen voting or related conduct between 2009 and 2025. Of these, six cases resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges, and 22 remain under investigation.
Nessel stated that her office takes election crimes seriously and prosecutes attacks on voting systems to the fullest extent of the law. "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," she said.
In Michigan, over 5.7 million ballots were cast in the November 2024 general election. State officials have noted that illegal voting by noncitizens is extremely rare.
The charges come as preventing illegal voting has been a priority for former President Donald Trump's administration. During his term, executive orders were signed to enhance citizenship verification for federal elections and to provide states with greater access to citizenship and immigration data. Legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections also received backing.
The individuals charged include Robert Piva, 67, a permanent resident accused of election law perjury, attempting to vote unqualified, and fraudulent registration, allegedly having voted early in October 2024 and claiming it was an "experiment" in voter fraud. Michael Akioya, 39, also a permanent resident, faces misdemeanors for alleged false statements on an absentee voter application and ballot envelope. Alondra Harker, 26, a limited-term alien resident, is charged with misdemeanor fraudulent registration for allegedly registering and voting in person.
Harumi Michael, 60, a permanent resident, faces felony charges for election forgery and attempting to vote unqualified, along with a misdemeanor, for allegedly registering and voting. Basanth Sadasivian, 29, a non-citizen living in the United Kingdom, is charged with a felony for attempting to vote unqualified via the Federal Post Card Application system using a Michigan address. Kimberley DiDonato, 60, a U.S. citizen, is charged with election forgery and computer crime for allegedly posing as her non-citizen husband to register him online, stating she wanted to test system vulnerabilities.
Nessel's office decided not to charge four individuals after determining two were U.S. citizens, one was a citizen through international adoption, and another was a federally recognized American Indian born in Canada. Six other cases were closed due to insufficient evidence of criminal intent or potential registration errors. Nessel also cited delays in federal cooperation as a factor affecting investigation timelines, noting that her investigators had to expend significant effort to obtain necessary citizenship records from federal agencies.