Michigan prosecutors charged five non-U.S. citizens and one U.S. citizen over alleged illegal voting tied to the 2024 election, following a statewide review of 38 suspected cases from 2009–2025. Attorney General Dana Nessel said six cases led to charges, 10 were closed without prosecution, and 22 remain under active review. Speaker Mike Johnson used the announcement to call for stronger election safeguards, while state officials emphasized that noncitizen voting is rare and pointed to federal data-sharing delays that slowed some investigations.
Michigan Files Charges Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting; Speaker Johnson Blasts Democrats
Dana Nessel
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday criticized Democrats and called for tighter election protections after Michigan prosecutors announced charges related to alleged illegal voting by noncitizens in the 2024 election. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the charges follow a multi-year review and stressed that investigations and prosecutions of election offenses are ongoing.
What Michigan Officials Say
Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that five non-U.S. citizens were charged with voting illegally in the 2024 presidential election and one U.S. citizen was charged for allegedly registering a noncitizen. The charges come from a state review of 38 suspected cases of noncitizen voting or related conduct dating from 2009 through 2025.
A voter drops a ballot into a ballot box at the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services building Sept. 20, 2024, in Minneapolis.
"In my office, we've always taken election crimes seriously and prosecute attacks on our voting systems to the fullest extent of the law," Nessel said. "We're upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of noncitizen 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."
Speaker Johnson's Response
Johnson posted on X that incidents from "New Jersey to Michigan" show illegal voting by noncitizens and argued that Democrats oppose measures such as voter ID and favor open borders. He described the alleged incidents as a threat to election integrity and urged Republicans' efforts to strengthen election security.
Named Defendants And Allegations
The Michigan announcement named specific defendants and the alleged offenses:
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla.
- Robert Piva, 67 (Roseville) — Permanent resident charged with election-law perjury, attempting to vote while unqualified, and fraudulent registration; investigators say he voted early in October 2024 and later described it as an "experiment" regarding voter fraud.
- Michael Akioya, 39 (Oak Park) — Permanent resident charged with making false statements on an absentee voter application and on the ballot envelope during the 2024 election.
- Alondra Harker, 26 (Three Rivers) — Limited-term resident charged with misdemeanor fraudulent registration for allegedly registering and voting in person in 2024; the misdemeanor carries up to 90 days in jail.
- Harumi Michael, 60 (Wolverine Lake) — Permanent resident charged with two counts of election forgery and one count of attempting to vote while unqualified, plus one misdemeanor count for allegedly registering and voting in Commerce Township.
- Basanth Sadasivian, 29 (U.K.) — Noncitizen charged with felony attempting to vote while unqualified for allegedly registering and voting via the Federal Post Card Application system using a Bloomfield Hills address; the felony carries up to four years in prison.
- Kimberley DiDonato, 60 (Rose Township) — U.S. citizen charged with election forgery and a computer-crime offense after allegedly registering her noncitizen husband online; authorities say she claimed she was testing system vulnerabilities before asking to cancel the registration.
Case Dispositions And Challenges
Of the 38 cases referred to state investigators, Nessel said six resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges, and 22 remain under active review. Her office declined to charge four referred individuals after determining two were U.S. citizens, one was an American citizen through international adoption, and another was a federally recognized American Indian born in Canada. Six additional cases were closed because investigators found insufficient evidence of criminal intent or probable registration errors.
Nessel also noted that delays in federal cooperation made some citizenship determinations slower and more complex. "While the question of whether any given resident is a citizen may feel simple, some cases are nuanced in unexpected ways," she said.
Political And Federal Context
State officials emphasized that illegal voting by noncitizens remains rare relative to the more than 5.7 million ballots cast in Michigan in the November 2024 general election. The charges arrive amid a broader federal push: the Trump administration issued executive orders in March 2025 and March 2026 aimed at strengthening citizenship verification for federal elections and directing agencies to give states greater access to citizenship and immigration data. The administration has also supported legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal contests.
Next Steps
Prosecutions are pending and many investigations remain open. Michigan officials say they will continue reviewing referrals and pursuing cases where evidence supports criminal charges, while also calling for improved federal-state data sharing to speed investigations.
Help us improve.
