On Thursday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced felony charges against three individuals accused of conducting a criminal enterprise to defraud several political campaigns. Shawn Wilmoth, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, and Willie Reed are charged with defrauding the 2022 gubernatorial campaigns of Perry Johnson, James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown, and Michael Markey, as well as judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan, and John Michael Malone. Shawn Wilmoth and Willie Reed are additionally charged with theft from the gubernatorial campaign of Ryan Kelley.
All nine campaigns contracted, directly or through intermediary consultants, with businesses owned and operated by Shawn Wilmoth and Reed for the fulfillment of their nomination signature requirements to appear on the August 2022 primary ballots. The state alleges the three defendants operated a criminal enterprise that charged the campaigns more than $700,000 for valid signature collection, then knowingly delivered thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions to eight of the campaigns. Seven of the candidates allegedly provided with fraudulent signatures were each disqualified from appearing on the ballot, one campaign withdrew. The defendants allegedly provided the Kelley campaign with no signatures at all.
“The signatures delivered to these campaigns were obvious forgeries. The methods these defendants used to disguise their fraud were sophomoric and transparent, and easily detected,” said Nessel. “But the crimes committed were serious criminal offenses that destroyed their clients campaign prospects and aimed to defraud the Buruea of Elections, all in service of a scheme to con these campaigns out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The defendants are charged as follows:
—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.
8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony.
3 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, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony.
8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony.
1 count, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.
1 count, Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.
—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.
8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony.
3 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, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony.
8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony.
1 count, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.
1 count, Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.
—Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin
1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony.
8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony.
3 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, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony.
8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony.
The alleged forgeries were quickly detected by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, within the Department of State, which determined the seven campaigns of Johnson, Craig, Brandenburg, Brown, Markey, Dare, and Malone had not met the qualifications to appear on the 2022 primary ballot. The Department of State then referred the matter to the Department of Attorney General for investigation in June of 2022.
“This expansive fraud also stole something from the voters of Michigan,” Nessel continued. “When seven of these candidates were disqualified from the ballot, fully half the Republican field for governor was deemed ineligible for voters to consider. Our democracy suffers when the voters are denied the opportunity to evaluate candidates they may have wished to support on election day.”
Defendants Wilmoth and Wilmoth-Goodin were arrested on Wednesday, June 21, and await arraignment.
Willie Reed is believed to be outside the state of Michigan. He has been charged but is not yet in the custody of law enforcement. Efforts are underway to secure his arrest.
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