PROSECUTINGATTORNEY
CRIMINALDIVISION
82IoniaAveN.W.Suite450GrandRapids.MI49503-3022Telephone:(616)632-6710Fax:(616)632-6714
WILLIAMA.FORSYTHProsecutor
PRESSRELEASE
CHRISBECKERChiefAssistantProsecutor
July17,2012Re:RepresentativeRoySchmidt
ShortlybeforethefilingdeadlineonMay
is",
22yearoldGNCemployeeandpart-timecollegestudentMatthewMojakfiledtorunasaDemocraticcandidateforStateRepresentativeinthe76
th
HouseDistrict.OnMay1
ih,
theKentCountyProsecutingAttorney'sOfficereceivedacomplaintregardingthecandidacyofMr.Mojak.ThecomplaintallegesthatMr.Mojak'sAffidavitofIdentitycontainedfalseinformationand,becausethesefalsestatementsweremadeunderoath,hehadcommittedperjury.Inparticular,thecomplaintallegesthatMr.Mojak'saffidavitisfalsebecause(1)hewasnotaDemocrat,(2)hewasnotregisteredtovoteinthe76
th
Districtand(3)hehadnotbeenaKentCountyresidentfor22years.OnMay18
th,
theMichiganStatePolicewereaskedtoconductaninvestigation.
FACTS
OnSunday,May13
th,
RyanSchmidt,sonofRoySchmidt,sentatextmessagetoMr.Mojak[afriendofhiscousinA.J.Schmidt].RyandidsobecausehisfatherhadaskedRyantofindsomeonetorunagainsthimintheupcominggeneralelectionforStateRepresentativeinthe76
th
District.Althoughhisfatherhadtoldhimthatfindinganopponentwouldhelphimgetre-elected,Ryanwasnottoldhoworwhyitwouldbebeneficial!.Nonetheless,RyancontactedMr.Mojakinanefforttoenlisthishelp.TextmessagesrevealthatRyanasked
"doyouwanttomakesomemoney?"......."Itsnothingillegaloranythinguhavetoworryaboutgettingintroublefor.Ialmostwouldliketomeetinperson,butfornowthephoneworks.NeedstobedonebyTuesdaynolaterthan3pm."
SubsequenttextmessagesandconversationsestablishthatMr.Mojakwasinitiallyoffered$450torunagainstRep.Schmidt.HewasalsoassuredthatbecausehewassimplyhelpingoutRep.Schmidtbyplacinghisnameontheballot,hewouldnotberequiredtofundraiseoractivelycampaign.
1
WhileRyanwasnottoldhowMr.Mojak'scandidacywouldbenefithisfather,itisclearthattheonlylogicalreasonforhisrecruitmentwastopreventtheDemocraticPartyfrommountingaviablewrite-incandidacy.AssumingMr.Mojakhadremainedintherace,itwouldhavebeenextremelydifficultforawrite-incandidatetobeathimbecausehisnamewouldbeprintedontheballot.SinceMr.Mojakhadagreedtorunwiththeunderstandingthathewouldnotactivelycampaign,RepresentativeSchmidtwouldhavefacedonlytokenoppositionintheGeneralElectionintheeventthatMr.MojakprevailedinthePrimaryElection.
AfterMr.Mojakagreedtohelp,RyantoldhimtomeetattheSOSOfficeintheCenterpointeMallonTuesdaymorning,May
is",
between8:30-8:45.ThepurposeingoingtotheSOSwasforMr.Mojaktochangehisaddressandvoterregistrationto2758WoodpathNW
2
[withinthe76
th
District];Mr.Mojakhadbeenlivingoutsidethedistrictat1351LoganSE.AfterarrivingattheSOSoffice,Mr.MojakwasmetbyRep.Schmidt;Ryanarrivedshortlythereafter.Subsequenttochanginghisaddress,Mr.Mojakwasinstructedtogotothepostofficeandpurchasea
$100
moneyordertocoverthecostofhisfilingfee;RyanSchmidthadgivenMr.Mojakthe
$100
ontheeveningofthe
14th.
AfterpurchasingthemoneyorderatthepostofficeintheCenterpointeMall,Rep.Schmidt,RyanSchmidtandMr.MojakwenttoaPNCbankinanattempttogetMr.Mojak'ssignaturenotarizedontheaffidavit-Rep.Schmidthadfilledinthetypedportionsoftheaffidavitontheeveningofthe
14th
withinformationprovidedbyMr.Mojak.BecausenoneofthemhadanaccountwithPNC,however,theaffidavitcouldnotbenotarized.Ultimately,theywenttoaChaseBanknearBretonandBurtonStreetswhereMr.Mojakwasabletocompletetheaffidavit.Afterthedocumenthadbeennotarized,Mr.MojakgaveboththeaffidavitandmoneyordertoRep.Schmidtwiththeunderstandingthatsomeonewouldfilethepaperworkonhisbehalf.AlthoughneitherMr.MojaknorRyanSchmidtareawareofwhatRep.Schmidtdidwiththeaffidavitandmoneyorder,subsequentinvestigationrevealedthatRep.SchmidttookthedocumentstoLansingandgavethemtoPhilBrowne,DeputyChiefofStaffforSpeakeroftheHouseJames"Jase"Bolger.Laterthatafternoon,shortlybeforethe4:00PMfilingdeadline,Mr.BrownefiledtheaforementionedaffidavitandpaidthefilingfeeattheKentCountyClerk'sOffice.WithinapproximatelytenminutesofhavingfiledthepaperworkforMr.Mojak,Mr.BrownesubmittedaletterseekingtowithdrawRep.Schmidt'sDemocraticAffidavitofIdentityfiledFebruary
14th
andfiledthedocumentsrequiredtoplacehimontheballotasaRepublican.OnMay
14th,
thefollowingtextmessageswereexchangedbetweenRepresentativeSchmidtandSpeakeroftheHouseBolger:8:30-8:32AMSpeaker:
"AnyluckfindingurDeminurdistrict?That'sthelastpieceweneed."
Schmidt:
"1
believewedo.Wiiknowthisafternoon."
8:50-9:07AMSpeaker:
"Cantheygetthepaperworktouandugettomesowecangetitinourhands,showtheGOPwe'reallset...thenwe'llfiletomorrow."
2
2758WoodpathNWisownedbyMr.Mojak'sgrandmotherandhadbeensittingvacantforapproximatelysixmonths.InthetwoweekspriortoMay15
t\
Mr.MojakandAJ.Schmidthadbeenworkingonthehousewiththeintentionofmovingintotheresidencewhentheyhadcompletedthework.
Schmidt:
"FortheDemcandidate.Yes!"
Speaker:
"Exactly,fortheDemcandidate...wealreadyhavethepaperworkforour
R
candidate!"
Schmidt:
"Iknow.Iamsonervousatthispoint-justwantittogoperfect!"
Speaker:
"Metoo.Idon'tlikeleavinganythingtochance,thusmyanxiousnesstogetthislastpiecewrappedup.Allwillthenbperfect!"
9:31AMSchmidt:
"Wehaveourman."
9:59AMSpeaker:
"Name?"
10:01AMPhonecallfromSpeakertoRepresentativeSchmidt[4.9minutes]10:14AM-I0:18AMSchmidt:
"MatthewMojaklnHewillbeatthesec.Ofstatewithanewaddressthisafternoon."
Speaker:
"Havethiscompleted,doublechecked,andnotarizedBringtomorrowandwe'llballset.Thiswillblockanygamesanyonecouldtrytoplayanduwillb..clear:http://michigan.gov/documents/EDl04AI[II)FilRec.Vendor837257.pd{"
[referencetoAffidavitofIdentity]Schmidt:
"OK"
Speaker:
"IsMatthewthesameasuhadbefore?Hehastobabletosayhe'sbeenlivingattheaddressinthedistrictfor30daysbeforefilingdeadline.
,,3
Schmidt:
"No-thisnewone-andhehas!"
[Rep.Schmidt'sresponsetothequestionsuggeststhatMr.Mojakwasnottheonlypersonhehadattemptedtorecruit.]Speaker:
"Ydoesheneedtochangehisaddress?"
10:26AM
3
Ironically,evenifMr.Mojakhadnotvoluntarilywithdrawnfromtherace,inalllikelihoodhewouldnothavebeenpermittedtoremainontheballot.InordertorunfortheofficeofStateRepresentative,apersonmustbe"aregisteredandqualifiedelectorofthedistrictheorsherepresentsbythefilingdeadline."-seeMeL168.161.BecauseMr.Mojakhadnotresidedat2758WoodpathNWfor30daysasofMay15
t\
hewasnota"qualifiedelector"and,assuch,wasnoteligibletorunforStateRepresentativeinthe76
th
District.
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Roy Schmidt Jase Bolger Election Fraud Ruling
Kent County Prosecutor's ruling on the investigation of election fraud in Roy Schmidt's last-second party switch.
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