Macomb Man Alleges Election Fraud, Sues Township, County Clerks

A Macomb Township resident has filed a lawsuit against the county and Macomb Township clerks that challenges the validity of more than 50 signatures on supervisor candidate Janet Dunn's nominating petitions and alleges wrongful denial of a Freedom of Information Act request.

In his lawsuit, resident Mark Maiuri asks Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh to "conduct an immediate investigation" into the signatures on Dunn's nominating petitions.

Maiuri claims that from May 15, when he began his own investigation of Dunn's nominating petitions, and the present he has uncovered "extensive fraud."

Although Michigan law only gives individuals seven days after the deadline for filing nominating petitions to challenge the validity of the petition or signatures to the county clerk, Maiuri argues that he was unable to file his complaint earlier because "the level of the fraud was so extensive that the investigation justifiably took longer to conduct."

Part of that investigation included an analysis of the signatures on Dunn's 18 nominating petitions by a Bloomfield Hills' company. In that analysis, which was requested by John Johnson, who works with 's campaign, 55 signatures are identified as duplicates or having been completed "by the same person." It is against Michigan election law for the same person to sign the name or address of another.

Dunn, 70, currently serves as a township trustee, but withdrew her bid for re-election as a trustee to run against incumbent Supervisor Mark Grabow in the August primary. Macomb Township resident Charles Missig is also running for the seat.

Maiuri filed a second lawsuit against Macomb Township Clerk Michael Koehs regarding his denial of a Freedom of Information Act request for the resignation letter of former township employee Jordon Gross. 

The lawsuit claims Gross was forced to write the letter by township officers for "refusing to engage in certain conduct and observing township employees sign nominating petitions for certain candidates on township time for election to Macomb Township public office.”

The lawsuit states Koehs "promised to convey a copty of the letter" to Maiuri at a June 28 board of trustees meeting, but Maiuri says no copy was ever received.

Maiuri has requested that Macomb County Circuit Court issue a "writ of mandamus" ordering the release of the letter.