WYOMING, Mich. — State Rep. John Fitzgerald is asking Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood to step away from his office after he was charged with eight felonies on Tuesday, stemming from the 2020 Election.
“These are very serious charges,” he said during an interview with FOX 17 on Wednesday. “I don’t think that it’s fair or best serves the community to have those charges and these allegations looming over our mayor, so, in my statement earlier today [Wednesday], I did call for the mayor to recuse himself from his official duties.”
The 16 charged are Kathy Berden, 70, of Snover; William (Hank) Choate, 72, of Cement City; Amy Facchinello, 55, of Grand Blanc; Clifford Frost, 75, of Warren; Stanley Grot, 71, of Shelby Township; John Haggard, 82, of Charlevoix; Mary-Ann Henry, 65, of Brighton; Timothy King, 56, of Ypsilanti; Michele Lundgren, 73, of Detroit; Meshawn Maddock, 55, of Milford; James Renner, 76, of Lansing; Mayra Rodriguez, 64, of Grosse Pointe Farms; Rose Rook, 81, of Paw Paw ; Marian Sheridan, 69, of West Bloomfield; Ken Thompson, 68, of Orleans; and Mayor Kent Vanderwood, 69, of Wyoming.
Some in the group have held positions within Michigan’s GOP, or served on local school boards or local governments.
Specifically, Nessel charged each individual with:
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit forgery (14 year felony)
- 2 counts of forgery (14 year felony)
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing (14 year felony)
- 1 count of uttering and publishing (14 year felony)
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit election law forgery (5 year felony)
- 2 counts of election law forgery (5 year felony)
All 16 are expected to appear in court soon for their arraignments. Fourteen of them will be arraigned on Thursday, August 10 at 10:30 a.m. at 54-A District Court in Ingham County.
“This is something that I think has been looming," he said. "I applaud the attorney general and her team for taking the time and methodically working through the investigation. I believe that this is certainly something that is not only serious but important for the people of Michigan to see in the public view and continue to have investigated.”
FOX 17 went to Wyoming City Hall and Vanderwood's other business to see if he was there and interview him. He was not. However, the city sent the following statement to FOX 17 on Tuesday:
"We are aware of the charges against Kent Vanderwood. These actions did not take place in his capacity as a city official. With any charges, there is a legal process that needs to be followed."
FOX 17 also reached out to the City Council, and are waiting to hear back.
In Nessel’s announcement, she called the group “fake electors” and said their “actions undermine the public’s faith in the integrity of our elections.”
Fitzgerald agreed. He said election integrity is at stake.
“We want to make sure that people feel that not only is their voice being heard, but their votes matter,” Fitzgerald said. “And, that we continue to uphold our constitution and free and fair elections.”
