Voter Fraud Convictions in Michigan, 2016-2020

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	A. Conviction Details	B. Background	C. Potential Election Impact
1.	Election Year: 2020 Name: Paul John Parana Party Affiliation: Party Affiliation is not tracked in Michigan[1]According to the website of the Office of the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan voters do not declare a party preference when registering to vote. – Source: Office of the Secretary of … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Paul John Parana pleaded guilty on 01/19/2021 to one count of violating election law “receiving payment to influence vote” in relation to an offense committed on 10/25/2020; as part of a plea agreement, two further charges of election law forgery and impersonating another to vote at an election were dismissed.[2]Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan – Criminal Case Records Search, “Register of Actions – Case Number: 20-004939-01-FH,” 3rdcc.org, accessed on April 8, 2022 Parana was sentenced on the same day to 90 days of probation and $1,128 in associated fees.[3]Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan – Criminal Case Records Search, “Register of Actions – Case Number: 20-004939-01-FH,” 3rdcc.org, accessed on April 8, 2022	“The Canton Township man accused of forging his daughter’s signature on an absentee voter ballot in the November [2020] general election was sentenced to probation Tuesday after pleading guilty to a lesser charge. Paul Parana, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a 90-day misdemeanor election law violation. … Investigators found that prior to the Nov. 3 election, an absentee voter ballot addressed to Parana’s daughter arrived at his home, and rather than forward the ballot to his daughter, Parana filled out the ballot as she instructed. He then forged her name to the back of the ballot envelope and mailed it.”[4]Ryan Jarvi, “Canton Township Man Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Election Law Violation,” michigan.gov, January 20, 2021 Case Notes: State of Michigan v. Paul John Parana Case Number: 20-004939-01-FH Court Records	Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown
2.	Election Year: 2020 Name: Trenae Myesha Rainey Party Affiliation: Party Affiliation is not tracked in Michigan[5]According to the website of the Office of the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan voters do not declare a party preference when registering to vote. – Source: Office of the Secretary of … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Trenae Myesha Rainey pleaded guilty on 2/23/2022 to three misdemeanor charges of making a false statement in an absentee ballot application in relation to offenses committed in October 2020; reduced from three felony counts each of election law forgery and forging a signature on absentee ballot applications.[6]Susan Smiley, “Center Line Nursing Home Employee Pleads Guilty to Election Fraud,” macombdaily.com, February 25, 2022 Rainey was sentenced to 45 days in jail and 24 months probation.[7]MiCourt Case Search, “37th District Court 2021-C210651-FY State of Michigan v Rainey,” micourt.courts.michigan.gov, accessed February 28, 2022	“A Macomb County nursing home employee was sentenced to 45 days in jail and probation for forging signatures on absentee ballot applications. Trenae Myesha Rainey pleaded guilty Wednesday [2/23/2022] to three misdemeanor counts of making a false statement on an absentee ballot application. Rainey forged the signatures of residents of the Father Murray Nursing Home where she worked, even though they had not requested the applications.”[8]Steve Neavling, “Macomb County Nursing Home Employee Sentenced to Jail for Forging Absentee Ballot Applications,” metrotimes.com, February 25, 2022 Case Notes: State of Michigan v. Rainey Case Number: 2021-C210651-FY	Type of Election: Absentee Ballot Applications before the 2020 Presidential Election Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections
3.	Election Year: 2020 Name: Carless Clark Party Affiliation: Party Affiliation is not tracked in Michigan[9]According to the website of the Office of the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan voters do not declare a party preference when registering to vote. – Source: Office of the Secretary of … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Carless Clark pleaded guilty on 11/17/2021 to one misdemeanor count of failure to perform election duty in relation to offenses committed on 10/23/2020; two further felony charges of election law forgery and impersonating another to vote at an election were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.[10]MiCourt Case Search, “36th District Court 2021-2106120901-FY State of Michigan v Clark,” micourt.courts.michigan.gov, accessed February 28, 2022 Clark was sentenced on 1/5/2022 to 12 months probation and 19 days of community service.[11]MiCourt Case Search, “36th District Court 2021-2106120901-FY State of Michigan v Clark,” micourt.courts.michigan.gov, accessed February 28, 2022	“A signature review of a returned absentee ballot to the Detroit City Clerk determined the signature did not match the registered voter’s signature in the QVF [Qualified Voter File]. That registered voter also voted at his polling location on Election day. Investigation by the Enforcement Division determined the grandmother of the registered voter, Carless Clark, 59, returned his absentee ballot by mail despite her grandson deciding to vote in person. … Clark admitted to signing her grandson’s absentee ballot because she was concerned he would not have time to vote on Election Day.”[12]Department of the Attorney General, “AG Nessel, SOS Benson Provide Update on New Election Fraud Cases,” michigan.gov, October 11, 2021 Case Notes: State of Michigan v. Clark Case Number: 2021-2106120901-FY	Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown
4.	Election Year: 2020 Name: Kathy Anita Funk Party Affiliation: Democrat[13]Associated Press, “Elections Official in Michigan Charged with Ballot Tampering,” freep.com, March 12, 2022 Offense and Sentencing: Kathy Anita Funk pleaded no contest in January 2023 to one count of misconduct in the office, reduced from two felony counts of ballot tampering and misconduct in the office as part of a plea agreement. The offenses took place during a 2020 primary election for the position of Township Clerk in Flint.[14]Associated Press, “Elections Official in Michigan Charged with Ballot Tampering,” freep.com, March 12, 2022[15]Angela Mulka, “Flint Twp. Election Official Charged with Ballot Tampering Takes Plea Deal,” ourmidland.com, January 23, 2023 Sentencing was scheduled for March 20, 2023.[16]Angela Mulka, “Flint Twp. Election Official Charged with Ballot Tampering Takes Plea Deal,” ourmidland.com, January 23, 2023 As of April 5, 2023, no sentencing information is available.	“Kathy Funk of Flint Township pled no contest to one count of misconduct in the office in Genesee County’s 7th Judicial Circuit Court, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday [1/25/2023]. Funk was previously charged with ballot tampering and misconduct in office for her actions during the August 2020 primary where she served as Flint Township Clerk. … ‘The parties stipulated that Funk purposely broke a seal on a ballot container so that the votes inside, under Michigan Election Law, could not be counted in an anticipated recount,’ Nessel’s office wrote … ‘Funk was running for re-election and narrowly prevailed in the unofficial count.'”[17]Angela Mulka, “Flint Twp. Election Official Charged with Ballot Tampering Takes Plea Deal,” ourmidland.com, January 23, 2023 Case Notes: State of Michigan v. Funk Case Number: 2022-22T00629-FY Court Records	Type of Election: Township Primary Party Affiliation: Democrat Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections
5.	Election Year: 2020 Name: Nancy Juanita Williams Party Affiliation: Party Affiliation is not tracked in Michigan[18]According to the website of the Office of the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan voters do not declare a party preference when registering to vote. – Source: Office of the Secretary of … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Nancy Juanita Williams pleaded guilty on 6/29/2023 to seven counts of election fraud – receiving payment to influence the vote; 10 further counts relating to forgery and false statements on voter registration and absentee ballot forms were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Williams was sentenced on the same day to $4,596 in fines and fees plus one year of probation for each count.[19]Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan – Odyssey Web Access, “Register of Actions – Case No. 22-000117-01-FH,” cmspublic.3rdcc.org, accessed July 20, 2022 “She also is facing seven counts of election forgery and putting false statements on an absentee ballot application in Oakland County. That case remains pending [as of 7/3/2023] in circuit court.”[20]Kara Berg, “Oak Park Guardian Pleads Guilty to 7 Counts of Voter Fraud in 2020 Election,” detroitnews, July 3, 2023	“A woman whose company handles legal guardianships faces multiple charges of forgery and voter fraud after allegedly attempting to obtain at least 14 absentee ballots — and possibly as many as 26 — for Michigan residents deemed incapacitated. Nancy Juanita Williams, 55, of Detroit, is charged in five jurisdictions in Wayne and Oakland counties,… State election officials became concerned … after several local election officials advised them about absentee ballot applications signed with an “X” and requesting that ballots be sent to Guardian & Associates, an Oak Park business,… No fraudulent ballots were ever cast or counted [emphasis added].”[21]Paul Egan, “Oak Park Guardian Accused of Voter Fraud Involving Multiple Incapacitated Individuals,” freep.com, October 11, 2021 Case Notes: State of Michigan v. Williams, Nancy Juanita Case Number: 22-000117-01-FH Court Records	Type of Election: Receiving Payment to Influence the Vote; Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Applications before the 2020 Presidential Election Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections

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