LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson is under investigation after she posted on social media a response to the many violent, vulgar and racist death threats she’s received. The video, posted Tuesday night, has quickly gone viral and legislative leadership removed her from her House Oversight Committee assignments Wednesday. “My soldiers, they are soldiers for Christ, soldiers against racism, soldiers against domestic violence, soldiers against domestic terrorism,” Johnson said. Rep. Johnson has been removed from her committee assignments, and we are looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their own investigations. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson herself, and others.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson, the Democratic chair of the House Oversight Committee is receiving death threats due to the election. She posted several of the threats to social media. After both Democratic and Republican representatives have received threats of violence over the election, Michigan Assistant Minority Floor Leader Laurie Pohutsky posted on Twitter about the SNL sketch. The SNL skit was amusing, I guess, but last night my caucus was trying to figure out how to keep those on that committee safe from the deluge of death threats they’re receiving. I’m sorry to be a bummer and I’m glad people enjoyed the skit, but the reality of it is heinous.

LANSING, Mich. – While supporters of President Donald Trump stood outside the Michigan House office building, Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani testified before Michigan House on Wednesday, claiming massive voter fraud in Detroit. Giuliani brought with him witnesses, who signed affidavits that have already been presented in court in Trump campaign lawsuits and have been dismissed or pulled by the campaign. READ: Giuliani to Republicans: Pressure Legislature on Biden winThe Michigan Senate held a similar hearing on Tuesday. Michigan House Republications made it clear that Wednesday’s hearing was not about overturning election results in Michigan, but about listening to people who claimed they saw irregularities at the TCF Center in Detroit. Disputing President Donald Trump’s persistent, baseless claims, Attorney General William Barr declared Tuesday the U.S. Justice Department has uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the 2020 election.

Detroit – The Wayne County Board of Canvassers is deadlocked on Tuesday with a 2-2 vote on the decision to certify election votes. The state Court of Appeals said it wasn’t convinced the Wayne County judge made a mistake by refusing to stop the work of county canvassers. — Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 18, 2020“In refusing to approve the results of the election in Wayne County, the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers have placed partisan politics above their legal duty to certify the election results,” Gov. The actions of Palmer and Hartman disrespects and disregards the voters of Wayne County, the incredibly hard work of the dedicated poll workers and clerks of Wayne County all in the name of partisan showboating. Once this is established, I will, of course, accept the will of the voters.”Statement from Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans:"The voters of Wayne County have spoken, but apparently two of the four members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers refused to hear them.

DETROIT – The Wayne County Board of Canvassers will move forward with certifying election votes after the Michigan Court of Appeals rejected a request to delay certification. UPDATE Nov. 19, 2020: Trump campaign withdraws federal lawsuit challenging Michigan election resultsA lawsuit, filed by a group of Republican challengers, asked the court to require an independent audit of votes cast by people in Wayne County. The state Court of Appeals said it wasn’t convinced the Wayne County judge made a mistake by refusing to stop the work of county canvassers. The Wayne County Board of Canvassers will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on certifying election results. UPDATE: Michigan: GOP canvassers can’t legally rescind Wayne County election certification vote

DETROIT – Hoping to halt a statewide certification of Michigan election results, the latest lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s campaign submitted hundreds of claims asserting GOP poll watchers were excluded from counting rooms or saw illegal activity in the count in the state. The Trump campaign is suing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson along with the Wayne County and the Michigan Board of Canvassers, which are in charge of reviewing elections. Inside the lawsuit are 234 pages of affidavits from people claiming to have been Republican poll watchers who witnessed or were told about misconduct by mostly Detroit ballot counters. Both the Trump and Joe Biden campaigns have started asking Michigan voters specifically to help fund these upcoming legal battles. Democrats have already asked to be part of the Court of Claims appeal, opposing the Trump campaign.

DETROIT – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson dispute claims made by Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in regards to Michigan’s ballot counting process. However, the clerk accidentally did not update the software used to collect voting machine data and report unofficial results. In order to report unofficial results, county clerks use election management system software to combine the electronic totals from tabulators and submit a report of unofficial results. In response, Thomas issued a statement saying, “The accusations are wrong and reveal the person making them doesn’t know Michigan’s election process. The Republican-led Michigan State House and Senate will hold hearings on the “voting and counting process” in the state, according to House Speaker Lee Chatfield.

DETROIT – Two people are describing their experience working inside the TCF Center amid the lawsuits and chaos surrounding the counting of ballots. READ: Experts put the ballot count protests at TCF Center in Detroit into perspectivePresident Trump supporters were outside the TCF Center in Detroit on Wednesday, chanting and banging on windows. There were between around 650 and 700 paid and trained vote counters inside at any given time. When the crowd chanted, “stop the count” many of the workers inside were afraid. People who were inside said both official challengers and some of the poll watchers were yelling slurs at the poll counters.

In Arizona, as Joe Biden’s lead began to dwindle, Trump supporters showed up and chanted, “continue the count.”Local 4 spoke to Oakland University professors Dave Dulio, the director of Civic Engagement and professor of political science and professor Erin Dwyer from the Department of History. Dulio said he believes the chanters misspoke and meant to address the president’s unfounded assertion that there were not enough Republican observers watching the count. “You’re not seeing internal consistency,” she said. “You’re seeing a different problem.”She spoke to some of her friends who were in the building at the time and said this was not about continuing democracy, but interrupting it. “Yelling racial epithets at people in that building.”

Several battleground states have yet to declare a winner as ballots are still being counted and those counts could last through Friday. Many people were trying to get inside the counting locations to try to stop officials from counting. In Michigan, 82 of the 83 counties have completed counting their ballots. The Trump team had filed a lawsuit in Michigan to stop the counting, because they felt that it was not fair and legal. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that the counting was completed and there wasn’t anything to stop.

As ballots are still being counted throughout the state of Michigan, tensions ran high in the “counting room” at the TCF Center in Detroit Wednesday afternoon. Supporters of President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump swarmed the TCF Center on Wednesday in an effort to enter the counting room and watch the ballot-counting process. In Michigan, citizens are allowed to observe the ballot-counting process to ensure everything is being counted fairly and accurately. Biden support Yolanda Moore was part of the crowd at the TCF Center Wednesday. Both Benson and Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey said the demonstrations at the TCF Center were just distractions from completing the counting.

DETROIT – People representing both the GOP and the Democratic Party gathered at the TCF Center in Detroit on Wednesday to demand access to the room in which General Election ballots are still being counted. Under Michigan law, a number of individuals are allowed to observe the ballot-counting process to ensure transparency. That is still allowed during the 2020 presidential election, but there are more restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The number of “watchers” allowed to partake in the process has been limited. There is no evidence of any nefarious activity in Michigan, as ballot counting delays were expected, given the massive increase in absentee voting.