Michigan’s Dem AG Threatens To Prosecute Woman Over ‘Misleading’ Social Media Posts

A Michigan resident was stunned to find a cease-and-desist letter from Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel earlier this week that threatened legal action after the woman had published social media posts alerting voters to a change in voting locations in Ross Township and alleging the township did not follow the law on notifying residents. 

Kerry Lynn Elieff, who lives in Ross Township, near Kalamazoo, told The Daily Wire that the cease and desist order didn’t specify which post broke the law but demanded that she delete all “misleading or false election information.” Elieff received the letter on Tuesday, the same day the state’s primary elections were held.

Elieff holds that her township did not follow the law, which requires voters to be notified of a polling location change within 60 days, The Midwesterner reported. She said that she published multiple posts and videos on social media to alert fellow voters in her township of the change. 

“I was posting this and informing the residents of this, and then I put out a FOIA request. And in that FOIA request, they told me that they would give me the information by August 8th, two days after the election,” Elieff told The Daily Wire. “So I’m making some videos and I’m making some posts with timelines. And then I get this letter from Dana Nessel, telling me to ‘cease and desist.’” 

“I’m shocked,” she added. “They are threatening me with criminal prosecution for sharing information with residents of the township. And two things that I noticed, it didn’t tell me a specific thing that I said that was misinformation, and number two, there was never any ‘if you find this an error, please contact us.’ There wasn’t an investigation. This was really a beatdown.”  

Elieff told The Daily Wire that she is looking into a federal lawsuit and finding legal representation following the cease-and-desist order. 

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The letter from Nessel’s office, which was signed by Criminal Trials Division Chief Robbin N. Liddell, stated, “This CEASE and DESIST letter is to inform you that you are in violation of Michigan election law. It has come to the attention of our office that you have spread misleading or false election information regarding polling locations in Ross Township through on-line sites. Specifically, MCL 168.932(a) prohibits and criminalizes this conduct.”

“The polling locations in Ross Township were legally approved and selected by the township board and clerk. Any false or misleading information you posted should be removed across all platforms,” the letter continued. “Therefore, you are hereby ordered to CEASE and DESIST the use of online platforms to continue spreading false or misleading information regarding the Ross Township polling locations. Failure to comply with this notice may result in criminal prosecution.” 

IT BEGINS: Dana Nessel sends ‘Cease and Desist’ threat letter over election ‘misinformation’ https://t.co/fe0zWrm15Q via @Th_Midwesterner

— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) August 6, 2024

The section of the law cited by the attorney general’s office states, “A person shall not attempt, by means of bribery, menace, or other corrupt means or device, either directly or indirectly, to influence an elector in giving his or her vote, or to deter the elector from, or interrupt the elector in giving his or her vote at any election held in this state.”

The Michigan woman said she complied with the letter, deleting some posts while revising others, but she added that it was difficult to know how to proceed since the letter from the AG’s office did not mention any specific social media posts. 

“I don’t want to go to prison over this. What are they deeming ‘misinformation’?” she asked. “If I’m wrong, I’m willing to go back and change it and own it.” 

Elieff received the letter shortly after Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office released a document urging voters to report “misleading or inaccurate information regarding voting or elections in Michigan.” The Michigan woman told The Federalist earlier this week that she believes someone in her township who disagrees with her politically reported her. 

Earlier this year, the Republican National Committee sued Benson, alleging she secretly directed local election officials before the February 2024 presidential primary election to presume that an absentee voter’s signature was legitimate.

Michigan is a vital battleground state in the 2024 presidential election and will also hold a key Senate election to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.