In a national address calling for tighter federal controls on voting and ballot access heading into the 2026 elections, President Donald Trump cited a six-year old case of alleged voter registration fraud from Muskegon that was dropped by federal authorities as part of his claim that U.S. elections are not secure.
But Michigan election officials say it is actually an example of how the system succeeds in preventing fraud from affecting elections.
In the widely reported case, Muskegon City Clerk Ann Meisch in 2020 denied hundreds of voter registration applications due to irregularities that indicated fraud. The irregularities included signatures with similar handwriting, and information on forms that did not match the Secretary of State’s database.
A state investigation was turned over to the FBI, which conducted interviews with former employees of a voter-registration company, GBI Strategies, that were part of the records trove released by the White House.
“It was pay, play and cheat,” said Trump, who has never acknowledged losing the 2020 race to President Joe Biden and has alleged without evidence there was widespread fraud in Michigan’s balloting.
The FBI ended its investigation last year and federal prosecutors never filed charges. Trump indicated he's unsatisfied with that outcome and wants the case reopened.
“Tonight, I am asking the FBI director to ensure that the matter is fully investigated and to work with the Department of Justice to prosecute those responsible for any crimes,” he said.
The FBI’s Detroit office did not reply to an email sent Thursday night seeking comment on the bureau’s next steps.
Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said the 2020 case showed the system flagged the false registrants, who were not given ballots.
“The system worked. The clerk recognized the issue, reported it, and no votes were affected at all,” he said.
“These claims have already been investigated and the president simply is trying to rewrite history over the last six years and try and control future elections,” Edevbie said. “Here’s the thing – Michigan elections are secure. They continue to be secure.”
Michigan has consequential elections approaching that include an open U.S. Senate seat and vacancies for governor, attorney general and secretary of state – all offices currently held by Democrats.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she will fight any efforts by the Trump administration to tighten its grip on state elections.
“Whether it’s unlawful executive orders, baseless demand letters for private voter information or the President’s continuous misinformation campaign, my office stands ready to fight back against this administration’s attempt to strip states of their constitutional right to administer our elections,” she said in a statement from her office.
