“Sanctions are required to deter the filing of future frivolous lawsuits designed primarily to spread the narrative that our election processes are rigged and our democratic institutions cannot be trusted,” the judge wrote in a 110-page opinion.
Powell, Wood and the attorney who was representing them in the sanctions dispute did not immediately respond to emails from CNN requesting comment.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, praised the judge’s ruling on Wednesday, saying in a statement that it “sends a clear message: those who seek to overturn an American election and poison the well of American democracy will face consequences.”
The lawsuit filed in Parker’s court last November by Powell, Wood and others was one of dozens of suits brought last year as part of an early, major attempt by then-President Donald Trump to claim that the presidential election results in November were illegitimate. His team and supporters lost all of their attempts in court to gain traction on voter fraud.
The city of Detroit — whose lawyer had argued that the Trump lawsuit was solely meant to spread lies about the election — as well as the state of Michigan had asked the federal court to sanction the lawyers who had brought the case.
This story has been updated with background information and further developments.
CNN’s Paula Reid and Devan Cole contributed to this story.