Lawmakers from both the state Senate and House submitted a letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson calling for a full, independent audit of the 2020 election results.

“We have seen a number of allegations that range from outright fraud, if true, to terrible mistakes that need to be corrected,” said Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton. “Never in my life have I seen such dismay and a lack of trust in our elections. I call on Secretary of State Benson to help mend these wounds and give people some peace of mind about the recent election.”

The letter outlines issues experienced in Antrim County, where thousands of ballots were miscounted, and totals were credited to the incorrect candidate.

The letter also outlines allegations of election officials critically mishandling numerous ballots, mail-in ballots being predated in order to be counted, and illegal intimidation and interference with lawful election challengers and poll watchers, among other issues.

“Every voter deserves to have faith in the integrity of the election process and its outcome,” said Nesbitt. “It is our responsibility, as elected public servants, to assure the people of Michigan of the process’s integrity through complete transparency and the faithful investigation of any allegations of wrongdoing, fraud or abuse. Unfortunately, a number of serious allegations have been made that cannot and should not be ignored.”

To read the full letter, click here.

State Sen. Aric Nesbitt issued the following statement calling on Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon to resign after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration extended the recent three-week shutdown for an additional 12 days:

“The Whitmer Administration’s biggest bureaucratic disasters during the pandemic have been directly linked to poor leadership at the Unemployment Insurance Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. The UIA director recently resigned in shame, and it’s time for DHHS Director Robert Gordon to resign as well.

“Director Gordon has issued statewide mandates shutting down small businesses without providing them the opportunity to operate safely — a move that has pushed these hardworking small business owners into bankruptcy through no fault of their own. He continues to ban in-person high school instruction and athletics, even when they can demonstrate safe health practices and standards. His one-size-fits-all approach lacks collaboration, thoughtfulness, and empathy.

“Director Gordon, under Gov. Whitmer’s instruction, presided over the disastrous nursing home policy and ignored Michigan-made, FDA-approved testing supplies at the outset of the pandemic when our state was in desperate need. He also oversaw a no-bid contract for the governor’s political operatives that was run through a taxpayer-funded nonprofit to conceal activities that sparked a criminal investigation.

“The time for Director Gordon to resign is way past due, and the governor should replace him with an independent leader who will bring much-needed organization and a spirit of partnership to this administration.”

After the recent announcement that $1.5 billion in fraud had been uncovered at the state’s unemployment insurance agency, state Sen. Aric Nesbitt issued the following statement:

“COVID-19 has taken a toll on Michigan, and residents who have been forced out of work because of government mandates are feeling it worse than anyone.

“It was recently announced that since this pandemic hit, our state lost up to $1.5 billion in fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) claims. That is a staggering number — and it flies in the face of law-abiding citizens who did their due diligence to file correctly for benefits that were owed to them.

“I have had thousands of people, many who had nowhere left to turn, call my office desperate for help with an agency that can’t even be bothered to return a call or provide guidance on an overly cumbersome system, despite repeated promises of efficiency and service improvements.

“While hardworking taxpayers, many who simply want to go to work and provide for themselves, are waiting for weeks and months for payments, criminals are pilfering the system for over $1 billion.

“This is unacceptable.

“At the very time our residents need it most, Gov. Whitmer’s mismanagement of Michigan’s unemployment benefits allowed more than a billion dollars to be paid in fraudulent claims instead of going to out-of-work Michiganders.

“My colleagues and I have vowed to work with Michigan’s attorney general, the Michigan Department of Treasury, Michigan State Police, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, the FBI and anyone else we need to work with to go after the perpetrators of this shameful criminal activity.

“I will support efforts to reduce fraud and ensure the money gets into the hands of Michigan residents who have been affected by this pandemic.”

State Sen. Aric Nesbitt recently appeared on WOOD TV to address the continued orders coming from within the governor’s administration.

You can view the video by clicking here.

The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) recently announced it is lowering the assessment charged per vehicle to $86.00 for the period beginning on July 1, 2021 through June 20, 2022 for people who choose to maintain unlimited lifetime personal injury protection benefits.

This announcement brings a 14% reduction, on top of the 55% reduction from the prior year, with a total reduction of 61%. The MCCA stated that the reduction in the rates is primarily due to the savings created by cost controls for medical treatment and other changes made to Michigan’s no-fault insurance law. These changes have resulted in an estimated reduction in MCCA liabilities of $3.5 billion and eliminated a deficit position.

The insurance reform bill was introduced by Sen. Aric Nesbitt and was signed into law in June 2019. These critical reforms continue to save Michigan’s drivers, families and seniors money.

Last week, Sen. Aric Nesbitt participated in the Trees for Troops program, to help provide members of our military and their families Christmas trees.

Trees for Troops is a program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, that provides free, farm-grown Christmas trees to United States armed forces members in all branches of the military and their families, through donations, sponsorships, grants and the work of many volunteers.

Since 2005, FedEx and the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation have been able to deliver 243,955 free Christmas trees to troops and military families in the United States and overseas through Trees for Troops. Thousands of trees are donated by American farms and FedEx delivers these trees to more than 70 military bases in the U.S. and overseas.

To learn more about Trees for Troops or if you’d like to volunteer please click here.