In Grand Haven, Michigan, political activist and blogger Brandon Hall has been found guilty on ten counts of election fraud. Hall was charged with election law fraud after forging signatures on 2012 petitions for a judicial candidate. His trial was delayed because of a legal battle over whether to try him for a felony or a misdemeanor. Despite the charges hanging over him, the Michigan GOP allowed Hall to work on the Trump campaign in Michigan, giving left wing groups a talking point to support the calls for a recount in the state.
Hall was charged with election law fraud after forging signatures on petitions in a 2012 effort to get judicial candidate Chris Houghtaling on the ballot.
Local courts initially agreed with Hall’s position that the case should be tried as a misdemeanor, based on a statement printed on the petitions, but the Attorney General’s Office appealed the case through the court system until the Michigan Supreme Court made the decision. That’s why it took so long for the case to come to trial.
Hall was formally charged with the felonies again in August. The case was eventually set for this week’s trial after he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Despite his legal issues, Hall continued to be involved in politics and even ran for the state House.
Hall has stayed busy the past few years working on various political campaigns across the country and most recently ran for the state House 89th District seat, but he was defeated in the Republican primary in August. He also worked on President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign.
“Donald Trump has made claim after claim calling the integrity of the election into question, but his Michigan campaign had no problem hiring a staff member facing election law charges,” Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said following Hall’s conviction on Wednesday. “The fact that the Trump campaign and the Michigan Republican Party embraced Brandon Hall is just one more reason to recount and audit the vote in Michigan.”
The case is not related to the Trump campaign at all, but this is just the sort of guilt by association claim that the left thrives on when attacking Republicans.
Hall will be sentenced on December 27 and could face up to five years in prison.
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