Michigan: State Court of Appeals upholds ruling tossing out signatures in recall of State Representative

A Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld (by 2-1 vote) the Elections Director decision tossing out the 13,991 signatures looking for the recall of Michigan State Representative Larry C. Inman (R). The petition language was originally approved, but the petitions that were printed out left out the word "right" in the sentence: attempted extortion under color of official right." Petitioners needed 12201 valids to get on the ballot.

Inman was also recently found not guilty by a federal jury found of lying to federal authorities, but were hung on charges of attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe.

Inman was indicted by a federal grand jury over attempted extortion, bribery and lying to the FBI continues, with the House voting 98-8 to call for his resignation. Inman is accused of trying to get a bribe from a union group for a vote to repeal the state's prevailing wage law. He has been prevented from going to his old office, though he is able to go onto the House floor. Inman blamed an opiod addiction.