Election deniers under investigation for taking vote tabulators

• The group accessed and compromised tabulators from clerk's offices in northern and west Michigan counties, then brought them to Oakland County, Attorney General Dana Nessel's office wrote in a petition seeking a special prosecutor given the political conflict of interest.
• Also under investigation are State Rep. Daire Rendon and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf.

What they're saying: The allegations are "astounding," Chris Thomas, the state's former elections director, told the Detroit News. "I have no idea what they did in there."

• "Maybe, they did something. Maybe, they did nothing."

The big picture: Even before the accusations, the race between Nessel and DePerno was one of the most closely watched attorney general contests in the country, writes the New York Times.

• The allegations signal that rural municipalities could be a point of vulnerability in the country's election system, especially as local officials face pressure from Trump-backed conspiracy theorists.