LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Court of Appeals (COA) dismissed charges against a Kent County man who was accused of election fraud.
James Holkeboer worked as an election inspector in Gaines Township during the 2022 primary election. A lower court said he violated state law by plugging a personal flash drive into an election laptop with the alleged intent of downloading voter rolls.
Holkeboer was charged with election fraud, prompting an audit within the precinct. The outcome of the election was not impacted, according to the Kent County clerk.
The COA disagreed with the charges, saying the law does not forbid the copying of a voter list if election or document integrity was not impacted.
Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons says she is disappointed by the COA's decision, adding efforts will be made to appeal it.
Posthumus Lyons's full statement reads:
"This is extremely disappointing. I’m deeply troubled the Court of Appeals did not see fit to hold accountable an individual who knowingly and secretly entered a personal flash drive into our election equipment, and without authorization obtained information for his own purposes, beyond the bounds of his duty as an election worker. Our citizens deserve to have faith in their elections and in those who work them, and this breach of public trust must be addressed. After speaking to Prosecutor Becker, I look forward to an appeal of this decision. We will continue to do everything possible to keep Kent County’s elections secure, transparent, fair, and accurate."
READ MORE: Election worker charged with falsifying records wanted to check for inconsistencies
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