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- Two candidates for Michigan state government told a crowd to “lock and load” at the polls and to unplug voting machines if they suspect fraud.
- Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson called for law enforcement to investigate the comments.
- The state attorney general’s office told Insider that a referral had been made and is currently under review.
Two Michigan GOP candidates for state government told a crowd they should unplug voting machines if they suspect fraud and to “lock and load” at the polls to allow Republicans to observe the ballot counting process.
The two candidates are Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor, and Mike Detmer, a Republican running for state senate in Livingston County.
Their comments to a crowd of dozens were recorded in a Facebook live stream on January 29, 2022.
—Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 30, 2022
Speaking about potential fraud, Kelley told the crowd in the video that “If you see something you don’t like happening with the machines, if you see something going on, unplug it from the wall.”
Moments after Kelley spoke, Detmer told the crowd that the Second Amendment was put in place to protect all the other amendments.
Though he said it was best to do “do this peacefully,” Detmer noted that “if we can’t change the tide… we need to lock and load.”
In a tweet, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Unauthorized personnel tampering w/ election devices & the use of firearms to intimidate voters is illegal. Engaging in such conduct will result in arrest & prosecution.”
—Dana Nessel (@dananessel) January 30, 2022
Speaking with MSNBC on Monday, Nessel blamed the rhetoric on former President Donald Trump, who recently issued false statements that the 2020 election could have been overturned.
“When you have someone who’s up the food chain, is the leader of the party, and is clearly saying the quiet part out loud and talking openly about committing serious election law-related crimes and crimes against the United States government, I don’t think it’s a stretch when you see people who are his followers who are doing and saying the same thing,” Nessel said on MSNBC.
In a CNN appearance on Tuesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that “law enforcement absolutely needs to investigate” the Republican candidates’ call to action, adding there’s “a number of potential legal violations.”
The Detroit News reported Sunday that Benson referred Kelley and Detmer’s comments to the attorney general’s office, however, the attorney general’s office told Insider that it has yet to open an investigation into the matter and is still reviewing the referral.
Benson previously tried to ban open carry of firearms at polling places on election day in 2020, however a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals struck down the order shortly after her attempt, noting that voter intimidation was already illegal under Michigan law.
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