Former Sterling Heights Council Candidate Charged With Election Fraud: Officials

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI — A former Sterling Heights city council candidate is in trouble after officials said he forged signatures on absentee ballot applications related to the November 2021 election, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.

Paul Manni, 27, was charged with nine counts of forging a signature on an absent voter ballot application (five-year felonies) and nine counts of making a false statement on an absent voter ballot application (90-day misdemeanors). A probable cause conference is scheduled for August 18 at 1:00 p.m.

Officials said the Sterling Heights city clerk became suspicious when Manni personally dropped off about 50 absentee voter applications with his signature, and indicated that he was delivering the applications at the voters’ request.

The clerk's office then reached out to nine of the voters to verify Manni's story, and found out that all nine did not request an absentee ballot, officials said.

That's when the clerk's office contacted the Bureau of Elections and reported the suspected fraud, which prompted an investigation that was eventually picked up by Nessel's office, officials said.

Officials clarified that none of the absentee ballot applications Manni submitted were mailed out to the voters, officials said.

"These charges prove the state’s signature matching standards and other election security checks and balances catch instances of wrongdoing, prompt thorough investigations and result in appropriate action," Nessel said. "I appreciate our ongoing partnership with the BOE to root out attempts to undermine our elections."