Overview

• Three people were charged with forgery and other crimes for falsifying petition signatures that got several Republican candidates for governor disqualified from the primary ballot last year.
• The defendants ran companies that collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from nine campaigns but submitted phony signatures, barring five candidates from the election.
• Two defendants have been arrested, while a third remains at large as the investigation continues and more charges are possible.
• The spoiled candidacies included millionaire businessman Perry Johnson and former Detroit police Chief James Craig, who were seen as strong contenders for the GOP nomination.
• The state attorney general warned campaigns to vet signature collectors and suggested Michigan tighten laws around the petition process.