Great Lakes Wire

Defendants Shawn Wilmoth, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, and Willie Reed are set to face trial following a decision by Judge John Chmura of the 37th District Court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that the trio has been charged with allegedly running a criminal enterprise aimed at defrauding several gubernatorial and judicial campaigns during the 2022 election cycle.

The defendants were accused of charging over $700,000 for collecting valid nomination signatures but delivering forged signatures instead. This affected candidates Perry Johnson, James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown, Michael Markey, Tricia Dare, John Cahalan, and John Michael Malone. Shawn Wilmoth and Reed also face charges related to theft from Ryan Kelley's campaign.

Attorney General Nessel stated: “The signatures furnished by these defendants were clear forgeries and fabrications, and the harm the victim campaigns suffered is substantial and without remedy.” She added that the alleged criminal enterprise profited significantly from these activities.

Charges against Shawn Wilmoth include conducting a criminal enterprise and multiple counts of election law forgery and false pretenses. Similar charges have been filed against Willie Reed and Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections identified the alleged forgeries swiftly. Seven campaigns failed to meet signature requirements due to this issue. The Department of State referred the case to the Attorney General's office in June 2022 for further investigation.

A reminder was issued that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court proceedings.