from Gretchen Whitmer
Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer filed paperwork with the Ingham County Circuit Court on Wednesday calling for the continued investigation of potential criminal activity perpetrated by House Speaker Jase Bolger and Representative Roy Schmidt as part of Schmidt’s party switch. Whitmer and Brewer, both attorneys, have prepared an official Complaint and Petition for Expedited Investigation by a Judicial Officer (known as a “one-person grand jury”) and will be filing it with Ingham County.
“No one is above the law, and the people of Michigan deserve to see that the individuals paid with their taxpayer dollars are held just as accountable to the law as they are,” said Whitmer. “The actions of Bolger and Schmidt appear to go well beyond political ploys and maneuvering into illegal activity, and they should be investigated to the fullest extent. The request we are filing today is calling for an impartial, apolitical investigation of these potential crimes.”
Wednesday’s move came after media FOIA requests revealed substantial evidence of criminal activity surrounding Schmidt’s switch to the Republican Party and his and Bolger’s efforts to recruit a fake Democratic candidate for Schmidt’s seat. Whitmer and Brewer’s action follows decisions by Kent Co. Prosecutor Bill Forsyth and State Attorney General Bill Schuette to not pursue criminal charges.
“While rare, a one-person grand jury is not unprecedented, and in this case it is definitely warranted. We are talking about election fraud committed by two sitting state representatives — one of whom is the leader of his chamber and only a few steps away from the governor’s office in the line of succession,” said Brewer. “We believe that the people of Michigan have a right to justice if crimes were committed, and we believe a one-person grand jury will have the independence necessary to deliver justice.” After a 1,000-page police report on the Jase Bolger/Roy Schmidt scandal came out including numerous text messages between the pair and other parties involved, it became clear that Matthew Mojzak was just a pawn in their political scheme who was paid and coerced to file a false Affidavit of Identity (which Schmidt prepared) to run for representative in Schmidt’s 76th District.
This action could be considered perjury under the law. Text messages back and forth between Bolger and Schmidt reveal that the two openly discussed finding a plant candidate to run as a Democrat against Schmidt, including the potential concerns about his residency, revealing potential conspiracy to commit perjury and subornation of perjury. Roy Schmidt also embroiled his son Ryan in the procuring of Mojzak as a straw man candidate.
Finally, there is reason to believe
that actions by Bolger, Rep. Schmidt and his son, and Representative Posthumus Lyons to conceal facts from the public and authorities show probable cause for obstruction of justice charges. There is also probable cause that
officials from the Secretary of State may also have obstructed justice by their interference with or lack of cooperation with the investigation of these potential crimes.
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