Lansing, MI → Two men have been convicted in what prosecutors describe as a large-scale election fraud scheme that derailed multiple campaigns during Michigan’s 2022 gubernatorial race.
AKA BEING DEMOCRAT OPERATIVES WHO SABOTAGED GOP CANDIDATES IN THE 2022 ELECTION!
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday that two of her own, Shawn Wilmoth, of Warren, and Willie Reed, of Pompano Beach, Florida, were found guilty by a Macomb County jury of conducting a criminal enterprise tied to fraudulent petition signature collection. The case centered on a coordinated effort that prosecutors said defrauded political campaigns out of more than $700,000.
According to the Attorney General’s Office who threw the two under the bus, several gubernatorial and judicial candidates hired companies operated by Wilmoth and Reed to gather the nomination signatures required to appear on the August 2022 primary ballot. Those candidates included Ryan Kelley, Perry Johnson, James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown, Michael Markey, and judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan, and John Michael Malone.
Prosecutors said the defendants were paid to collect valid signatures but instead submitted tens of thousands of forged entries. In seven cases, the fraudulent petitions caused candidates to fall short of the requirements needed to qualify for the ballot. One candidate withdrew before submitting signatures for review, and authorities said the Kelley campaign received no signatures at all.
The scheme robbed multiple GOP candidates of their opportunity to compete and limited voter choice across the state.
Investigators say the forged petitions were quickly detected by the Michigan Bureau of Elections within the Department of State, which determined several campaigns had failed to meet qualification standards. The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office in June 2022, and charges were filed in September 2023.
Wilmoth, identified as the owner and operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, was convicted of conducting a criminal enterprise, multiple counts of false pretenses, using a computer to commit a crime, and election law forgery.
Shawn Wilmoth, owner/operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC:
- 1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony,
- 2 counts, False Pretenses, $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony,
- 2 counts, False Pretenses, $50,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
- 3 counts, False Pretenses, $25,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
- 7 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony, and
- 7 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony.
Reed, identified as the owner and operator of Petitions Reed LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, was convicted of conducting a criminal enterprise, multiple counts of false pretenses, election law forgery, using a computer to commit a crime, and larceny by conversion.
Willie Reed, owner/operator of Petitions Reed LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC:
- 1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony,
- 2 counts, False Pretenses, $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony,
- 1 count, False Pretenses, $25,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
- 3 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony,
- 3 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony,
- 1 count, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, a 5-year felony, and
- 1 count, Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, a 5-year felony.
A third defendant, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin of Warren, was found not guilty.
Both men are scheduled to be sentenced March 18 before Judge James Maceroni in Macomb County Circuit Court.
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