2 convicted in signature fraud that derailed campaigns for 2022 Michigan gubernatorial candidates

Two people were convicted in a signature fraud case that derailed the campaigns of multiple Republican gubernatorial candidates and several judicial candidates during the 2022 Michigan August primary election. 

Shawn Wilmoth, of Warren, and Willie Reed, of Pompano Beach, Florida, were convicted by a Macomb County jury this week of election law forgery, conducting a criminal enterprise and other crimes. 

State prosecutors say Wilmoth was the owner and operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, and Reed was the owner and operator of Petitions Reed LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC. 

Attorney General Dana Nessel says Wilmoth and Reed charged the gubernatorial campaigns of Ryan Kelley, Perry Johnson, James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown and Michael Markey, as well as judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan and John Michael Malone, more than $700,000 for valid signature collection. 

Nessel alleges that Wilmoth and Reed submitted "tens of thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions" to eight of those campaigns, with seven candidates failing to meet the signature requirement. Nessel claims that one candidate withdrew without submitting signatures, while Kelley's campaign received no signatures. 

The Michigan Bureau of Elections detected the forgeries, determining that Brandenburg, Brown, Johnson, Craig, Markey, Dare and Malone did not meet the state qualifications to appear on the primary ballot. Candidates were required to submit 15,000 signatures from voters to appear on the Republican primary ballot. 

Nessel's office charged Wilmoth and Reed in September 2023. Prosecutors also charged Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, but Wilmoth-Goodin was found not guilty. 

"The fraud perpetrated by the defendants robbed eight candidates of their chance to appear on the ballot, defrauded their campaigns and denied millions of Michiganders a choice in the 2022 gubernatorial election," Nessel said in a statement. 

Wilmoth and Reed will be sentenced on March 18.