Michigan Democrats are reportedly insisting on an investigation into three Republican U.S. Senate candidates, along with one who has exited the race, due to alleged forgery claims.
The *Detroit Free Press* revealed on Friday that the Michigan Democrat Party and Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee are urging state election officials to probe the matter:
The Free Press acquired a letter from the groups’ lawyers and Michigan voter Emily Judd, submitted to the Board of State Canvassers. The letter stated an “initial review” of petitions from former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, Justin Amash, and businessman Sandy Pensler, as well as former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, who is no longer in the race. This review indicated “patterns that suggest potential forgery and other fraudulent signature gathering tactics.”
If an investigation takes place and it is found that any candidates have fewer than 15,000 valid signatures, they could be removed from the August 6 primary ballot for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan.
Michigan’s U.S. Senate race has become highly contested following Stabenow’s retirement announcement, according to the Associated Press (AP).
An Emerson College/*Hill* poll found that Republican U.S. Senate candidates were in competitive positions in hypothetical races in early general election states, including Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as reported by Truth Voices on April 30.
In a March interview on *Truth Voices Daily*, Rogers attributed Michigan’s significant shift from Democrat to Republican to President Joe Biden’s policies. “How often do you get an opportunity to say, ‘Okay, under President Trump, my 401k was bigger, my gas prices were lower, I had more income to spend on other things other than food, my neighborhood was safe?'” Rogers questioned.
He further stated, “And then, you go to the Biden years and see all of that change. And now, you get to say, ‘Okay, now you get to choose between two of these’… I think that’s what you see changing across the landscape.”
Responding to the Democrats’ letter, Pensler advisor Stu Sandler commented, “Democrats can’t beat Republicans at the ballot box, so it looks like they’re trying to eliminate Republicans from the ballot.”
