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 on 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.

An adviser for Pensler criticized the request, saying Democrats can’t beat Republicans at the ballot box “so it looks like they’re trying to eliminate Republicans” altogether.

Rogers, who has earned the endorsement of former President Trump, is considered the GOP frontrunner in the state’s Senate race.

In a statement provided to The Hill, Rogers’ communications director said it’s an “antidemocratic stunt.” 

“Elissa Slotkin said she couldn’t win with Joe Biden at the top of the ticket and that she’d never run against Mike Rogers. So, it’s no surprise her campaign has resorted to the same failed unlawful efforts to subvert democracy that they tried to use against President Trump,” Chris Gustafson said in the statement.

The group is alleging that as many as 433 pages of signatures from random samples involved more than 20 petition gatherers who are part of other challenges filed in the state.

The controversy follows a 2020 challenge, where five Republican candidates for governor in Michigan failed to qualify for the primary after the Board of State Canvassers rejected their nomination petitions because of signature fraud.  

Updated 12:48 p.m. ET.