Great Lakes Wire

Former Saginaw City Council candidate Eric Eggleston and current council member Monique Lamar-Silvia face multiple felony charges related to alleged election law forgery. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the charges, which stem from accusations of forged signatures on a nominating petition intended to place Eggleston on the November 2024 ballot.

Eggleston is charged with conspiracy to do a legal act in an illegal manner, election law forgery, and signing a nominating petition as a circulator when he was not the circulator. Lamar-Silvia faces similar charges, including conspiracy, election law forgery, signing a nominating petition with multiple names, and signing with a name other than her own.

The allegations include that on July 23, 2024, Lamar-Silvia fraudulently signed voter names on a petition for Eggleston's candidacy. Eggleston then allegedly certified falsely as the circulator before submitting the forms to the clerk’s office just before the deadline.

Despite these efforts, Eggleston did not secure a spot on the ballot.

Attorney General Nessel emphasized the importance of election laws in ensuring fairness and accountability: “Dedicated and trustworthy clerks play a critical role in protecting local elections," she said. "While these safeguards worked as designed, my office takes election fraud allegations very seriously."

The case was referred to Nessel by the Michigan Department of State following an investigation prompted by a complaint from the Saginaw City Clerk. Arraignment dates for both individuals have yet to be determined.