LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Democratic Party today blasted Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey for unleashing an army of scam artists and fraudsters in the deceitful, unscrupulous Unlock Michigan petition to undermine Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ability to save lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new Detroit Free Press report found Shirkey and Unlock Michigan hired known criminal Mark Jacoby to help lead the effort to strip Gov. Whitmer of her emergency powers to keep Michiganders safe throughout the pandemic. The Free Press found Jacoby’s fraudulent petition activities span at least three states, including California, where he was arrested in 2008 on voter registration fraud and perjury charges, then pleaded guilty in 2009 to a lesser charge, and Florida.
Jacoby — who has essentially made his living by lying to potential voters — is an administrator of the Let the Voters Decide private Facebook page, where petition gatherers are encouraged to tell voters the dangerous proposal actually helps Gov. Whitmer, the Free Press found. Read the full Free Press article.
“With all the law and order rhetoric coming out of the Republican National Convention this week, we urge Michigan Republicans to denounce Mark Jacoby and any petition gatherers lying to get every possible signature for this partisan power grab,” said Lavora Barnes, Michigan Democratic Party Chair. “This Detroit Free Press report makes it crystal clear, Unlock Michigan will stop at nothing to undermine Gov. Whitmer’s ability to save lives and get Michigan’s economy moving again. Republicans who want to make unfounded claims about voter fraud need look no further than Unlock Michigan and its dangerous effort that puts the lives of all Michiganders at risk.”
