Politics & Government
Macomb Township Supervisor Charged With Election Fraud
Janet Dunn, who took office as township supervisor last November, faces a misdemeanor charge relating to petition signatures.
Janet Dunn, the top-elected official in Macomb Township, has been charged with election fraud.
Dunn is accused of signing off on petitions for signatures she did not collect. She was arraigned last week in the Sterling Heights district court. The 41A district judge in Shelby recused himself from the case because Dunn helps oversee that court as township supervisor, Channel 7 reports.
She was released on a $500 personal bond for the misdemeanor charge that's punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. She's scheduled to return to court July 10 for an arraignment and pretrial hearing, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Michigan State Police investigation
Since last fall, it was known that petition signatures were the focus of a Michigan State Police investigation but Dunn remained mum on the allegations.
During a September Board of Trustees meeting, resident Thomas Christ told her, “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.
Find out what's happening in Macomb Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"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 Christ who ran unsuccessfully for the township treasurer's post in the August Republican primary.
Dunn, 71, did not respond to him during that meeting.
Find out what's happening in Macomb Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Longtime resident Dunn center of controversy
Dunn, who defeated incumbent Supervisor Mark Grabow and challenger Charles Missig in the August Republican primary, took office Nov. 20. Since taking seat, she has been creating a historical committee in the community.In a candidate questionnaire, she told Patch that her experience in the community made her an ideal person for the job.
"When I retired as the assessing officer for Macomb Township, I realized that I had many years of experience in what local government can and cannot do. I wanted to use my experience to make this township a great place to live," she said.
Grabow implored residents Wednesday to take a stand against Dunn's alleged actions at a township meeting via a Facebook post.
"Public corruption will not be tolerated," part of his post read.
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