Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is threatening to prosecute a resident for” spread]ing ]” what has been labeled as “misleading or false” election-related information, according to a “cease and desist” letter reported Tuesday. Following The Federalist’s revelation, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is urging citizens to record their relatives for alleged “election misinformation.”
The article’s victim, who had formerly chosen to remain unnamed, revealed herself to The Federalist as Kerry Lynn Elieff, a native of Ross Township near Kalamazoo. On June 12, Elieff reported concerns about a shift in polling places to The Federalist.
According to the letter dated July 24 and reviewed by The Federalist, Nessel’s company threatened Elieff for making a blog about polling places, which Elieff said she was” frightened” to acquire next week.
” I was really thinking,’ They’re going to sue me for this?'” Elieff said to The Federalist. ” They’re perhaps hearing one side of the story”.
The use of online websites to maintain spreading false or misleading information about the Ross Township polling locations is now ordered by [ Y]ou. Failure to comply with this notice does result in legal trial”, reads the text, initially reported Tuesday by Detroit television network Justin Barclay and The Midwesterner.
The letter, signed by Criminal Trials Division Chief Robbin Liddell, demanded Elieff “remove] ]”” ]a ] ny false or misleading information” from” all platforms”.
Consequently, Elieff told The Federalist she removed or modified her comments.  , In a screenshot she shared with The Federalist, a Facebook post by” Kerry Lynn Elieff 4 Ross Township Supervisor” alleges that” It has come to my attention that the voting locations for Precincts 1 and 2 have been changed. The Sherman Lake YMCA has been replaced with Precinct 1, which was prior to being at the August Village Hall. In the main on Tuesday, Elieff defeated former Supervisor Christina Hutchings. According to Elizabethff, she complained to The Federalist that local election authorities had changed polling places without making the necessary people known at least 60 days in advance, as required by law.  ,
The text on Nessel’s letter states,” It has been brought to our business that you have distributed false or misleading election data regarding polling locations in Ross Township through online sources.” The town table and clerk “legally approved and selected the polling places in Ross Township.”
Nessel’s office cited MCL 168.932 ( a ), claiming the statute “prohibits and criminalizes” Elieff’s” conduct”. This act bans any “attempt, by means of corruption, danger, or another corrupt means or unit, either directly or indirectly, to effect an elector in giving his or her vote, or to hinder the elector from, or halt the elector in giving his or her vote at any election held in this state”.
” I did n’t have a chance to even share with them the truth”, Elieff said. ” They did n’t claim,’ If you believe this is an error, contact me.’ There was nothing like that”.
While Liddell’s unique included a phone number, Elieff said she did not feel comfortable calling.
” I also thought about calling and saying,’ May you describe to me what misconceptions I was giving?'” Elieff said. ” With this threat, how do you feel comfortable calling in”?
Reporting as “misinformation”
Elieff claimed to believe that a resident of Ross Township lied to her about it.
Benson, a Democrat, is encouraging Michiganders to record some ‘ supposed vote “misinformation” to a state contact address, The Federalist reported last year. Citizens can and should visit this effort, according to a statement from Benson’s workplace, to “hold individuals responsible for spreading lies about elections.”
The secretary of state’s office offers its own resources of” trusted” data, seemingly information.pdf?rev=078a8ecdc8cc4d67acb0c774e4e3e82f&hash=E1078EC3435D64D3CF1F9EB0C9F3474C” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>referring people to its own “fact inspections” website. The office also refers readers to FactCheck. org, PolitiFact, and Snopes — groups that have proven themselves leftist information gatekeepers.
Benson also recently launched a” Democracy Ambassador” program, according to a July press release, which focuses on recruiting residents to” squash” and” combat any election-related misinformation targeting Michigan voters” . ,
In July, Nessel addressed journalists about the value of” collaboration” between officials and journalists in her department’s “elimination of misinformation from social media platforms.”
Patrice Johnson, chair of the nonprofit Michigan Fair Elections, said she thinks Nessel’s prosecution threat could be the beginning of a larger censorship effort.
Before the election, this is attempting to silence people. It’s clearly trying to stifle civic involvement”, Johnson said. ” It’s like the next generation of 1984, coming here”.
Nessel’s office did not respond to a comment request Tuesday.
The staff writer for election integrity is Logan Washburn. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan was born and raised in rural Michigan, but he is primarily from Central Oregon.
