Groups Calls For Halt In Review Of Unlock Michigan Signatures

LANSING, MI — A group organized with the intention of protecting the executive powers of Michigan's governor during a public emergency has called for a halt in reviewing signatures gathering by a group hoping to take away those powers.

Keep Michigan Safe this week sent a letter to the Michigan Bureau of Election urging the department to stop its preliminary review of signatures gathered and submitted by Unlock Michigan until an investigation into the group's gathering of signatures is completed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

“We want to ensure that appropriate steps are being taken to secure and preserve all the petition sheets submitted by Unlock Michigan," the group wrote in the letter. "We understand that they have conceded the tactics used by one of their vendors, In the Field, violated the Michigan Election Law and segregated at least a portion of those petition sheets.

“Our concerns are that based on public statements made by Unlock Michigan that not every petition sheet collected by In the Field was segregated – only those dated after the date of the media reports disclosing the unlawful activity," the letter continues. "In addition, we have received additional reports and evidence that the unlawful conduct was not limited to those circulators working for In the Field, but also included countless volunteers who circulated signatures."

Related: Michigan Group Petitions To Revoke Whitmer Emergency Powers

Unlock Michigan started a petition in the early portion of the coronavirus pandemic seeking to repeal the Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945, which allowed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to issue states of emergencies during the pandemic because it was deemed a crisis.

"We've succeeded in collecting more than a half-million signatures from Michigan voters in fewer than 80 days, an historic accomplishment at a pivotal point in Michigan's history," Unlock Michigan Co-Chair Ron Armstrong said in a statement at the time. "This initiative isn't about any one rule, or any one personality. This proposed law simply takes away the ability of a single politician to rule like a monarch for as long as they like. That's a power that no politician of any party should ever have."

The group said it gathered more than 500,000 signatures required to be submitted to the bureau of elections for action, but questions surrounding how the group gathered those signatures arose following a report last year in the Detroit Free Press.

Related: Whitmer Extends State Of Emergency In Michigan

According to that report, a trainer hired by Unlock Michigan to collect signatures schooled petition gatherers on how to lie under oath if deposed, illegally collect voter signatures they didn’t witness and trespass on private property.

Unlock Michigan also hired a convict to help lead its effort, the Free Press reported.

The claims led to an investigation by Nessel, who said in September that her office received complaints from residents who reported they were deceived by petition circulators who were gathering signatures to support the efforts of Unlock Michigan.

Related: Michigan AG Nessel Opens Investigation Into Unlock Michigan

"Our democracy is firmly rooted in the principles of an informed electorate which makes decisions at the polls based on reason and beliefs over lies and deception," Nessel said at the time. "Our ballot initiative process allows efforts with strong public support to be presented to the Legislature. But that process becomes tainted when petition circulators manipulate and cheat to serve their own agendas. My office will investigate these allegations, and if there is a violation of law, we will prosecute those responsible."