Michigan Democrats are asking state election officials to investigate whether a Republican Senate candidate and another candidate signed forged or fraudulent signatures on petitions.
letter, Retrieved from Detroit Free Press, signed by the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. It is asking groups to investigate whether Republican Senate candidates and others who have dropped out of the race submitted false signatures on nominating petitions.
It called for an “initial review” of a petition filed by former Michigan Republican Reps. Mike Rogers, Justin Amash, Sandy Pensler and Peter Meyer.
“Clear misconduct has been uncovered that requires an immediate investigation,” Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman LaVora Burns said in a statement.
She called on the Michigan Department of Elections to “uphold its responsibility to protect the integrity” of the state’s elections and “conduct a full and thorough investigation.”
Pensler’s advisers criticized the request, saying it “looks like Democrats are trying to completely eliminate Republicans” because they can’t beat Republicans at the polls.
Rogers has the backing of former President Trump and is considered the Republican front-runner in the state Senate race.
The group claims the 433 pages of signatures it obtained from a random sample involve more than 20 petition activists who are part of other challenges filed in the state.
The controversy follows a 2020 challenge in which five Republican candidates ran for governor of Michigan. Could not obtain qualification primary after the state recruiting commission rejected a nomination petition citing signature fraud.
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