Well here's another type of voter fraud: A county prosecutor Tuesday slammed state House Speaker Jase Bolger and a state representative from Grand Rapids for conspiring to perpetrate a fraud on voters in connection with the November election.
But Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth said he couldn't charge either Bolger or state Rep. Roy Schmidt, both Republicans, because they hadn't broken any laws.
"As a Republican official, I am embarrassed and offended by what transpired," Forsyth said.
Schmidt infuriated and stunned Democrats when he jumped to the GOP late in the afternoon of the May 15 filing deadline. When Democrats scrambled to oppose Schmidt with a write-in candidate, they found 22-year-old Matt Mojzak -- unknown in party circles -- already poised to have his name on the ballot and make a write-in Democratic challenge that much more difficult.
It turned out, according to Forsyth's report, that Schmidt and Bolger -- with text messages and phone calls -- had cooked up the plan to help make sure Schmidt had no real opposition. In fact, Schmidt used his son to recruit Mojzak, an acquaintance, to file as a Democrat with the enticement of a $450 fee. After Mojzak got skittish when reporters questioned his residency, Schmidt upped the offer to $1,000 if Mojzak stayed in the race.
But Mojzak withdrew.
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http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20120718/NEWS04/307180031/State-House-speaker-representative-blamed-election-candidate-scam?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|NEWS03|p
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LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Democratic Party refiled a complaint Thursday that asks Secretary of State Ruth Johnson to investigate whether House Speaker Jase Bolger and his staff violated the law by being involved in a western Michigan House race.
Party Chairman Mark Brewer said violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act occurred because campaign work was being done while staffers were being paid by the state. He based that on an investigative report released Tuesday by Republican Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth.
Schmidt was a Democrat representing Grand Rapids before he switched his allegiance to the GOP within half an hour of the May filing deadline and offered to pay another man to enter the Democratic race but not campaign. Text messages show Bolger had a part in Schmidt's plan.
On May 14, Bolger texted Schmidt: "Any luck finding ur Dem in ur district? That's the last piece we need."
Schmidt responded: "I believe we do."
Forsyth filed no charges but said the "scheme by Rep. Schmidt and Speaker Bolger was clearly designed to undermine the election and to perpetrate a 'fraud' on the electorate." He added he was "offended and embarrassed" by the actions.
Bolger has apologized but said he didn't break any laws, and Schmidt has taken a similar stance. Bolger also said he won't resign the speakership despite calls by Democrats to step down.
Violating the campaign finance law is a misdemeanor, and those convicted can face fines.
Brewer says Bolger and Schmidt deserve to be investigated by the secretary of state because they conspired "to deny voters a choice in November and used taxpayer dollars to do it."
"The arrogance demonstrated here is stunning," Brewer told reporters Thursday. "It defies imagination that these people didn't know they were violating state law."
The Democrats' complaint asks Johnson, a Republican, to investigate if laws were broken by state employees using state phones and sending text messages during work hours concerning Schmidt's race. Democrats first filed the complaint in May, but Johnson dismissed it because she said they didn't present any evidence of wrongdoing.
That changed with Forsyth's report. He forwarded investigative reports to Johnson to determine if campaign contribution rules were violated by a $2,000 check written on Schmidt's campaign account and payable to Schmidt's son, Ryan, who recruited 22-year-old Matthew Mojak to run as a sham Democratic candidate.
Johnson spokeswoman Gisgie Gendreau said the department has not yet received the latest complaint, which was mailed Thursday, so it had no response.
Also Thursday, the leading Democrat on the House Oversight, Reforms and Ethics Committee called on the committee to investigate Schmidt's actions.
"This report outlines a clear case of improper payment for Rep. Schmidt's personal gain," said Rep. Tim Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe, in a statement. "We need to determine if the conduct uncovered in the prosecutor's report warrants punishment by the House of Representatives, ranging from censure to expulsion."
The Republican head of the oversight committee, Rep. Tom McMillin of Rochester Hills, has said he doesn't see the need for committee hearings because Forsyth didn't file any charges.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder declined Thursday to give his opinion on Bolger and Schmidt's actions, saying they involved a separate branch of government.
Brewer said House Republicans can expect to see Bolger's role in the Schmidt race play out in November if Bolger remains as speaker.
"They're going to have to choose whether they stick with Speaker Bolger or if they're more concerned about their own re-election," Brewer said. "This is far from over, either from a legal perspective, or from a political perspective."
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/53beec09814d46ccbba370f900b07018/MI--House-Race-Party-Change
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Topic: Election rigging (Read 13277 times)
