Dems point to ‘additional indications of apparent fraud’

Kate Holloway
·2 min read
3

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Nineteen Michigan voters have issued declarations that they “did not sign or do not recall signing” the nominating petitions of Republican candidates for the United States Senate, Michigan Democratic Party officials said Friday.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers’ campaign is calling the letter “meritless” and “an attempt to subvert democracy.”

The allegation is one mentioned in a “supplemental letter” by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Michigan Democratic Party and voter Emily Judd, a week after the party submitted an initial request to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers for an investigation into “at least five indications of fraudulent signatures.”

Democrats raise alarm on ‘potential fraud’ in petitions

The initial document on Friday, May 17 said the organizations intend “to call the Board’s attention to potential fraud in the nominating petitions of” Republican U.S. Senate candidates Mike Rogers, Sandy Pensler, Justin Amash and Peter Meijer.

Further allegations in the supplemental letter to the Board of Canvassers on Friday, May 24 included the following:

  • Declarations from 19 Michigan voters stating they did not sign or do not recall signing the petitions

  • Errors and markers similar to those previously confirmed by the Board of State Canvassers to be indications of fraud

  • Petition sheets containing significant numbers of signatures from geographically disparate parts of Michigan

  • Additional indications of a potential “round-robin” scheme

  • Voters not registered in Michigan

  • Circulators who have been accused of engaging in fraudulent signature collection activity in other petition challenges before the Board of State Canvassers

MDP’s statement on Friday also alleged that “a review of [Candidate Mike] Rogers’ sample showed that approximately 23% of signatures were from unregistered voters.”

MI-Senate-Petitions-Follow-Up-Letter-ExhibitsDownload

MDP Chair Lavora Barnes made the following statement:

“Given that Michigan voters have now submitted declarations stating that they did not sign the petitions, the Bureau of Elections and Board of Canvassers must uphold their responsibility to protect the integrity of Michigan’s elections and conduct a full, thorough investigation. The Board of State Canvassers must conclusively determine that the Republican Senate candidates have each submitted 15,000 valid signatures before taking any vote to certify them to appear on the ballot.”

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes

Chris Gustafson, communications director for Mike Rogers for Senate, sent 6 News the following statement after MDP’s most recent letter to the Board of Canvassers:

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