MACOMB COUNTY, MI (WOWO) A Macomb County jury has convicted Shawn Wilmoth and Willie Reed in a signature-gathering fraud case that disrupted the 2022 Michigan governor’s race, Votebeat reports.
The two defendants were found guilty on multiple felony counts, including conducting a criminal enterprise and election law forgery. The scandal led to the disqualification of several candidates, including former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson, after thousands of fraudulent signatures were submitted on their nominating petitions.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said Monday that the fraud “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.” The jury acquitted a third defendant, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin.
Wilmoth and Reed charged campaigns more than $700,000 for the signatures, Nessel said. While candidates are responsible for the signatures, there is no indication they knew about the wrongdoing.
The case highlighted vulnerabilities in Michigan’s signature-gathering system, which remains largely unregulated. Signature gatherers can mislead signers and are not required to allow them to review petitions before signing.
Wilmoth and Reed are scheduled to be sentenced March 18. The most serious charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise and using false pretenses involving $100,000 or more, each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.
