Michigan court orders Massachusetts man to take down websites that mislead potential political donors
A Michigan court has ordered a Massachusetts man to take down or prevent access to websites that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel claims in a lawsuit are misrepresented as being associated with the Democratic and Republican national committees.
The potential fines are $300 a day if he does not comply with that order within two weeks.
A hearing on the case is set for Oct. 10 in Ingham County 30th Circuit Court in Lansing, according to court records.
The legal action against Donald Peltier of South Hadley, Massachusetts, began in October 2024, when Nessel filed a complaint listing several websites "that falsely purported an affiliation" with the major political parties and then-Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The websites had similar-looking names to the official sites, and some included donation links and photos of prominent politicians.
"Defendant solicited money from Michigan residents by using websites intended to mislead potential donors into believing they were donating to a political party, candidate, or associated or affiliated organization," the lawsuit states.
"Michiganders should be able to support causes they believe in without having their hard-earned dollars taken by scammers," Nessel said.
In the meantime, the attorney general recommends that those who wish to contribute to political parties or causes be proactive and seek them out, rather than responding to unsolicited fundraiser pitches by phone or email.
"Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have official websites," she added.