ICYMI: Apparent Fraud Could “Remake an Election,” MDP and DSCC “Raise Alarm” and “Request Probe of Ballot Signatures for Michigan GOP Candidates”

LANSING - On Friday, the Michigan Democratic Party, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and a Michigan voter submitted a request for an investigation to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers detailing indications of fraud in Republican Senate candidates' nominating petitions discovered in only a limited review.

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Michigan Public Radio: "Democratic groups say there are signs of fraud on nominating petitions filed by three Michigan Republican candidates for U.S. Senate. Mike Rogers, Sandy Pensler, and Justin Amash, as well as Peter Meijer who dropped out of the race. Michigan Public's Tracy Samilton reports…"

Tracy Samilton: "So they're asking the Michigan Board of State Canvassers to conduct an investigation on its own. Some of the alleged fraud includes forgery of voter signatures. The claims are similar to the fraud that got five Republican candidates for governor kicked off the primary ballot in 2022."

Detroit Public Radio: "Michigan Democrats claim several Republicans vying to be the state's next U.S. Senator have fraudulent names on the petitions needed to get a candidate on the ballot. The Democratic officials accuse Republican senatorial hopefuls Mike Rogers, Justin Amash, Peter Meijer, and Sandy Pensler of submitting petitions with various signatures that appear written by the same person. Without enough valid petition signatures, a candidate cannot get on the ballot."

WLNS: Democrats raise alarm on 'potential fraud' in petitions

• Michigan Democrats have submitted a request for an investigation to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.
• The request, submitted by the Michigan Democratic Party, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Michigan voter Emily Judd, points to "at least five indications of fraudulent signatures" on Republican Senate candidates' nominating petitions.
• The document says it intends "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.
• In a news release, MDP said the indications of fraud had been discovered "in only a limited review," and had demonstrated "at least five indications of fraudulent signatures:"
• Clear, full page circulator fraud with evidence that all lines of the petition were filled out by the same person
• Voters' names appearing across multiple candidates' petitions in different handwriting with errors in addresses and spelling
• Voters' names appearing within a single candidate's petition more than once, in different handwriting with errors in addresses and spelling
• Evidence of a "round-robin" scheme
• Visible circulator handwriting and signature mismatches
• MDP also said in the statement that "circulators who have been accused of engaging in fraudulent signature collection activity in other petition challenges before the Board of State Canvassers also circulated petitions for the Republican Senate candidates."
• In their statement, Democratic Party officials pointed to the 2022 findings of fraudulent signatures on five gubernatorial candidates' and three judicial candidates' petitions, saying "there is a well-documented history of significant fraudulent signatures on Republican nominating petitions in Michigan."
• "The Michigan Democratic Party and the DSCC urge the Board to ensure that apparent fraud is fully investigated before any candidate is certified to appear on the ballot," officials said.

Gongwer: Dems Allege Fraudulent Petition Sigs Filed By GOP U.S. Senate Candidates

• Four Republican U.S. Senate candidates are being targeted by Democrats who allege their campaigns filed potentially fraudulent petition signatures, claims multiple candidates rejected as being a stunt coming beyond the date for which challenges could be filed.
• In a Friday letter to the Board of State Canvassers, a request was filed by the Michigan Democratic Party, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and an individual voter to investigate the petition signatures.
• Listed in the letter are former U.S. Reps. Justin Amash of Cascade Township, Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids and Mike Rogers of White Lake. Grosse Pointe business executive Sandy Pensler is also included in the request.
• The letter urges the panel to investigate the petitions filed by the four, saying an initial review showed potential forgery of signatures by petition circulators.
• "The board has the authority - and, practically speaking, a duty - to conduct a full investigation of candidates' nominating petitions, even absent a formal or timely complaint," the letter said.
• Outlined in the letter are allegations of at least five different types of potential fraud.
• These include entire sheets of petitions with what appears to be the same handwriting for multiple voters and the same petition circulator using visibly different handwriting to fill and sign the affidavit box across petition sheets.
• Also highlighted were examples of multiple signatures possibly from the same voter but which appear to be in different handwriting and instances of the same voter signing for multiple candidates with different handwriting.
• Finally, the Democrats also allege examples of petition sheets submitted by different candidates that appear to contain identical voter signatures. In some cases, they appear to be in the exact same order.
• Instances of similar petition fraud issues were found among signatures filed for candidates during the 2022 election cycle, notably among five Republican gubernatorial candidates who were disqualified.

Politico Playbook:"WHAT GARY PETERS IS WATCHING: Michigan Democrats filed a complaint yesterday asking for a review of the signatures submitted by leading GOP Senate candidates, including MIKE ROGERS, JUSTIN AMASH and SANDY PENSLER, The Detroit News' Grant Schwab reports… But anybody who watched the state's 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary knows that allegations of fraudulent signatures, if substantiated, can remake an election."

The Hill: Democrats request probe of ballot signatures for Michigan GOP candidates

• Democrats in Michigan are requesting state election official investigate whether GOP Senate candidates and another forged or wrote fraudulent signatures on petitions.
• The letter, obtained by The Detroit Free Press, is signed by the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. It asks the organizations to investigate if the GOP senate candidates and one other person who left the race submitted fake signatures on nominating petitions.
• It called for an "initial review" into petitions submitted by former GOP Michigan Reps. Mike Rogers, Justin Amash, Sandy Pensler and Peter Meijer.
• "The apparent fraud uncovered demands an immediate investigation," Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman Lavora Barnes said in a statement.
• She asked the Michigan Bureau of Elections to "uphold their responsibility to protect the integrity" of the state's election and conduct a "full, thorough examination.

Newsweek: Republicans Accused of Forging Ballot Signatures in Critical Swing State

• Michigan Democrats asked state election officials to investigate Republican Senate candidates on Friday, accusing the Republicans of fraud and potential forgery of ballot signatures.
• On Friday, attorneys for the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) submitted a letter to the Board of State Canvassers asking election officials to investigate whether nominating petitions submitted by Republican U.S. Senate candidates Rogers, Justin Amash and businessman Sandy Pensler as well as former candidate Peter Meijer had "patterns that indicate the presence of potential forgery and other fraudulent signature gathering tactics."
• "The apparent fraud uncovered demands an immediate investigation" and that the state Bureau of Elections and the canvassing board "should uphold their responsibility to protect the integrity of Michigan's elections and conduct a full, thorough examination," Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman Lavora Barnes said in a statement.
• The letter claims that further investigation is needed as the candidates' submissions appear to have potential fraudulent signatures, with petition sheets that appeared to be filled out by only one person, voters' names appearing across multiple petitions in different handwriting and other evidence of potential fraud.
• "The Board should not certify any of these candidates for the ballot until it has conclusively determined that they have submitted 15,000 valid signatures from actual Michigan voters, as required by law," the letter reads.
• However, if an investigation is conducted and if it is found any of the candidates were found to have less than 15,000 valid signatures, the candidates could be taken off the August 6 primary ballot for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate seat.
• …the letter stated it's the board's duty to canvass all petitions submitted.
• "If, after that investigation, the Board determines that any of the candidates have not submitted the required number of valid petition signatures, those candidates should not be certified for the ballot," the letter said.

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