3 local officials in Michigan charged in alleged election scheme under scrutiny

Criminal charges against a group of Michigan Republicans for allegedly participating in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election has placed a trio of local officials under intense scrutiny, preventing at least one from continuing to carry out his official duties, while also calling into question whether the other two will stay in office.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against 16 Republicans for allegedly signing a phony certificate pledging the state's Electoral College votes to former President Donald Trump. Those charged include Grand Blanc Community Schools board member Amy Facchinello, Shelby Township Clerk Stanley Grot and Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood.

Facchinello faces a potential recall campaign, Grot can no longer administer elections and Vanderwood confronts calls to recuse himself and resign.

The Free Press left a voice message seeking comment from all three local officials. Facchinello and Grot did not respond. An individual reached out on behalf of Vanderwood, indicating that the mayor had not received a copy of the charging document and that Nessel's office reached out after she announced the charges with a brief voice message. "We don't respond to press releases, so until we've had a chance to review the charges, we have no further comment," reads an email from to the Free Press from Pat Liebler, a leader at the public relations Liebler Group, according to its website.

A recall effort against Facchinello

Facchinello was elected to serve as a Grand Blanc Community Schools board member in 2020. A day after Nessel announced the charges against Facchinello and others, a resident in the school district filed a recall petition, according to Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons.

The county election commission will consider the recall language at an upcoming meeting. And if the petition is approved, there will be a short window for Facchinello to appeal, Clemons explained.

Criminal charges: Trump's fake electors charged by Michigan AG in alleged 2020 election scheme

The petition must obtain enough signatures to go before voters, and given the timing of the petition filing, that could put a recall measure on the May 2024 ballot.

Grot barred from carrying out election duties

The director of Michigan's Bureau of Elections, Jonathan Brater, sent a letter to Grot on Thursday instructing Grot to immediately refrain from carrying out all official election duties such as registering voters and issuing ballots, citing the criminal charges he faces.

"Our legal system presumes that persons accused of criminal conduct are innocent until proven guilty and the criminal charges you currently face could eventually be resolved in your favor," Brater wrote. "However, allegations that you have violated Michigan criminal and election statutes by attempting to award the state's electoral votes to candidates other than those actually elected by the people of Michigan fundamentally undermines voter confidence in the integrity of elections."

Brater directed the township's deputy clerk to perform election duties until further notice or until Grot is acquitted or has the charges against him dismissed.

Calls for Vanderwood to resign

Vanderwood was elected as Wyoming's mayor in 2022. The Democratic lawmaker who represents the city in the Michigan House — state Rep. John Fitzgerald, D-Wyoming — called on Vanderwood to recuse himself from official duties the same day Nessel announced the charges.

"Every resident of Wyoming deserves to have trust in our local institutions and leaders. While these charges move through the courts, I do not believe that our city, nor its residents, are best served under the leadership of an indicted mayor," Fitzgerald said.

Democratic state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, called on Vanderwood to resign. "Anyone charged with attempting to overthrow American democracy must face the consequences of the law, regardless of their political affiliation," Skaggs said. "I strongly believe that in light of these extremely serious allegations, the right thing for the mayor to do is resign."

In a statement, the city acknowledged the charges against Vanderwood: "These actions did not take place in his capacity as a city official. With any charges, there is a legal process that needs to be followed," reads the city's statement provided by Briana Peña, communications specialist with the city manager's office.

Residents, meanwhile, have inquired about how to initiate a recall effort against Vanderwood, according to Peña. In response to those questions, the city posted on its Facebook page that any recall efforts would be handled by the Kent County Clerk's Office.

Vanderwood is serving his first year and is therefore not yet eligible for a recall, Kent County Deputy Clerk Rob Macomber told the Free Press in a text message. Any petitions would be accepted on or after Dec. 6, he said.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan local officials charged in alleged election scheme