Though Michigan’s election results were certified years ago and have subsequently been backed up by more than 250 audits across the state since, all 12 GOP gubernatorial candidates have either stoked distrust around our democratic processes or committed to support legislation that will make it harder for all Michiganders to vote.
Despite being the newest Republican to join the crowded and messy primary, “prolific junk faxer” Perry Johnson has gone out of his way to prop up dangerous lies about the 2020 general election in order to undermine public trust in the electoral process and impose severe restrictions on voting.
The odd-quality guru has already used his millions to make TV ads out of his election conspiracy theories, broadcasting his extreme plan to slash funding for Detroit and other local governments over clerical errors.
He’s also promised to enact voter ID laws, a pledge that rings hollow as it is already the standard in Michigan. But rather than acknowledge that fact, he has thrown his support behind the intentionally disenfranchising Secure MI Vote ballot petition that would effectively strip voting rights from nearly 20,000 Michiganders, the majority of which came from communities of color.
A clear signal of just how deep his 2020 delusions run, Johnson endorsed “conspiracy-peddling lawyer” Matthew DePerno’s bid for Attorney General and then stood beside him at Mar-a-Lago cheering on false claims that the election was stolen.
DePerno was called out by name in the Republican-led Senate Oversight Committee report on the 2020 election for spreading “demonstrably false” conspiracy theories “based on misleading information and illogical conclusions” – a 55-page account definitively stating that there was “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud” that Johnson has refused to acknowledge. Presented by Committee Chair Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), the report additionally referred to the 2020 crusade as “a nationwide conspiracy to steal the election” in which its supporters “place all other statements and actions they make in a position of zero credibility.”
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“Even though he joined the crowded Republican gubernatorial primary just over a month ago, Perry Johnson has solidified his place as one of the most rabid election conspiracy theorists of the bunch. With every outlandish anti-voting pledge Johnson makes, it only highlights for Michigan working families that the odd-quality guru remains uninterested in the things they care about – common sense solutions to create jobs, improve our infrastructure, and keep our economy going strong. Michiganders deserve better.”