Washington — Michigan Democrats are alleging fraudulent signatures and calling for an investigation into the nominating petitions for Republican U.S. Senate candidates, according to a complaint filed Friday.

The complaint to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers follows “an initial and limited review” of the petitions and specifically names four candidates: Former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers of Brighton, Justin Amash of Cascade Township and Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township as well as Grosse Pointe businessman Sandy Pensler. Meijer withdrew from the race in late April.

“The apparent fraud uncovered demands an immediate investigation of the Republican Senate candidates’ nominating petitions,” said Lavora Barnes, Michigan Democratic Party chair.

Complaints like the Democratic Party’s have become commonplace in recent years, in many instances leading to the removal of Democratic and Republican candidates from the ballot. If this latest complaint is substantiated, it could upend a crowded GOP primary Senate contest set for August.

The Board of State Canvassers is comprised of two Republicans and two Democrats.

But at least one Republican campaign accused the Democrats of playing politics.

“Democrats can’t beat Republicans at the ballot box, so it looks like they are trying to eliminate Republicans from the ballot. Sandy Pensler turned in over 26,000 signatures. He clearly qualifies for the ballot which is why no timely challenge was filed,” said Stu Sandler, a spokesperson for Pensler, a Grosse Pointe Park businessman seeking the GOP nomination.

The complaint, filed by the Elias Law Group, alleged “at least five” markers of fraudulent signatures by the GOP candidates:

• “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, which refers to instances of signature gatherers for different campaigns taking turns signing candidates’ petitions from names on a voter list.
• Visible circulator handwriting and signature mismatches.”

The Democratic Party explained why Meijer was named in the complaint even though he dropped out of the race.

“Although Mr. Meijer has suspended his campaign, we believe the Board should know the full extent of potential fraud across these four candidates’ nominating petitions,” the complaint said. 

“There is a well-documented history of significant fraudulent signatures on Republican nominating petitions in Michigan. In the 2022 election cycle, five gubernatorial candidates and three judicial candidates were not certified to appear on the ballot due to fraudulent signatures,” the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said in a press release.

Look back: James Craig, Perry Johnson, 3 others ineligible for ballot, Bureau of Elections says (2022)

On the Democratic side, elections staff at the Wayne County Clerk’s Office determined Thursday that Democratic U.S. House candidate Adam Hollier of Detroit did not have enough valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot in the 13th Congressional District. That came after first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar of Detroit, challenged the signatures Hollier’s campaign collected.

The county staff recommendation isn’t final, as an official determination hasn’t yet been made by Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett on the sufficiency of Hollier’s petition.

gschwab@detroitnews.com

@GrantSchwab

Michigan’s jobless rate remained steady in April at 3.9% — the fourth consecutive month the number registered at 4% or less.

The monthly employment report was released Thursday by the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics.

Manufacturing and finance employment have dipped but that’s being made up in other sectors, said Labor Market Information Director Wayne Rourke.

“The big gains, they’re in industries like health care, they’re in industries like government,” he told Michigan Public Radio. “Construction’s doing very well, where the rest of them are just moving up and down a little every month and kind of staying flat.”

Overall, the report said non-farm employment in Michigan rose by about 37,000 jobs since the beginning of the year.

Rourke said Michigan’s jobs report is similar to what is happening in other states.

“Most of them are under 4 percent,” he said. “The U.S. actually matches Michigan this month. So, the story that we’re telling in Michigan is similar across most states – the jobless rates are really, really low and the payroll jobs have been increasing.”

Total employment in Michigan advanced by 1.1% since the beginning of the year. That is higher than the 0.3% national growth figure over the same period.

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Last year Michigan added UMass cornerback Josh Wallace via the transfer portal and Wallace would go on to be an integral part of Michigan’s secondary in 2023.

With both Wallace and Mike Sainristil now in the NFL and DJ Waller transferring, Michigan has added needed depth at the position in Albany transfer corner Aamir Hall.

Hall was an FCS All-American in 2023, tallying 57 tackles (37 solo) with five interceptions. Per PFF, Hall received an 85.7 overall PFF grade last season, a 73.0 passer rating allowed, and an 88.3 Coverage grade. Before playing for Albany Hall spent three years at Richmond where he totaled 106 tackles (61 solo), two interceptions, and 18 pass breakups.

Hall joins a cornerback room that includes Will Johnson, Ja’Den McBurrows, Myles Pollard, Jyaire Hill, and Keshaun Harris. It remains to be seen where Hall will rank on the depth chart. However, it’s fair to say that his experience along with sound tackling, savvy pass breakups, consistent interceptions, and solid coverage skills will have him carving out what could be a vital role on Michigan’s defense.