Inexcusable: Thad McCotter Out of Congress Over Petition Sigs Snafu

by Warner Todd Huston | June 4, 2012 8:02 pm

What an inelegant way for such an illustrious career to end — perhaps if only temporarily. Congressman Thad McCotter (R, Mich) not only didn’t get enough signatures on his nominating petitions to get himself on the ballot for his reelection, the petitions his team did turn in were rife with duplicates and outright fraud. Now he’s announced that he is not running for reelection because of all this.

McCotter, 46, has been in Congress for ten years and has been considered a rising conservative star. He even made an abortive attempt to run for the 2012 GOP nomination for the White House. Now, he’s out of Congress on his ear due to nothing other than neglect of the nomination process.

McCotter initially announced that he was going to carry out a write-in campaign but has given up that idea[1], too.

As he announced the end of his last ditch effort to keep his seat, he had a message for Michiganders. “To those who unhappy at this news, I’m sorry; to those happy at this news, you’re welcome,” he said.

The write-in effort was necessary because McCotter’s campaign utterly bollixed the nominating petitions, didn’t get enough signatures, and clearly committed fraud in order to try and get the petitions in on time.

McCotter’s team turned in some 1,833 signatures but it seems that only about 244 were actual valid!

As a result of the petition foolishness, there may even be an investigation[2].

A review by Bureau of Elections discovered various discrepancies in the filing of McCotter’s petitions, including duplicate signatures and the appearance of altered petitions. McCotter himself has urged the secretary of state’s office and attorney general to investigate.

“I thank the Michigan Secretary of State and Attorney General for commencing the criminal investigation of petitions I requested Tuesday; will assist as they see fit,” he said in a statement Thursday.

McCotter released a statement saying he intended to track down who was responsible for turning in the fraudulent petitions, but come on. He is the one ultimately responsible.

Now, many conservatives have written extensively about vote fraud and petition fraud. Here we have one of our best doing that very thing. He should be excoriated for it.