Supervisor Candidate Dunn Keeps Mum on Election Fraud Allegations

Despite allegations of election fraud, supervisor candidate Janet Dunn decided not to respond to public comment challenging her to defend herself during the Sept. 26 Board of Trustees meeting. 

The Macomb Daily reported last week that petition signatures for Dunn were at the center of a Michigan State Police investigation. Detectives submitted their findings to the prosecutor’s office, which has yet to comment on whether it will dismiss or pursue a case regarding these allegations. The source of the complaint that led MSP to pursue its investigation is unknown. 

Dunn, who defeated incumbent Supervisor Mark Grabow and challenger Charles Missig in the August Republican primary, is expected to take office Nov. 20. As there are no Democrats running for the seat in November, Dunn, who currently serves as a township trustee, is the lone candidate for supervisor.

“I would hope that during the trustee comments, when you have the opportunity, that you will unequivocally state that you personally circulated every petition that had your signature on it. It should be a simple statement to make. At this point in time, only you and the some of the 200 plus residents that signed your petition actually know the truth,” said resident Thomas Christ. “If you personally circulated those petitions, by God, fight to vindicate yourself. But, if you haven’t please do the right thing and end the divisiveness on this issue.”

Christ ran, and lost the township treasurer's post, in the August Republican primary.

Dunn did not respond to Christ – or remark on anything at all – during the open comment session, however, trustee Nancy Nevers did speak in Dunn’s defense.

“We all should wait until we see his (the prosecutor’s) determination. I personally, at that point, believe Mrs. Dunn will be exonerated. I think we are putting the cart before the horse on this issue, I think we should wait for his determination,” she said. 

Allegations of election fraud were previously brought against township officials in July.

Macomb Township resident Mark Maiuri filed a lawsuit against the county and Macomb Township clerks that challenged the validity of more than 50 signatures on Dunn's nominating petitions and alleged wrongful denial of a Freedom of Information Act request.

Maiuri claimed he had uncovered "extensive fraud" by means of his own investigation as well as from official handwriting analysis of Dunn's nominating petitions—analysis which was commissioned by John Johnson, a member of then-clerk candidate Cathy Imbronone's campaign staff.

Less than 48 hours after polls closed for the Aug. 7 primary, Maiuri asked the court to dismiss his case.

The Macomb County Circuit Court denied this request as Macomb Township had already filed a counter complaint to defend Clerk Michael Koehs in his offical capacity, according to court documents.