Macomb County Nursing Home Worker Pleads Guilty In Attempted Election Fraud Case

(CBS Detroit) -- A Macomb County nursing home employee pleaded guilty after she was accused of forging signatures on absentee ballot applications, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office.

Trenae Myesha Rainey, 28, was charged with three counts of election law forgery and three counts of forging signature on absentee ballot applications. On Wednesday, Rainey pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of making a false statement in an absentee ballot application.

She was sentenced to two years' probation with the first 45 days to be served in the Macomb County Jail.

Officials say in October 2020, the Michigan Bureau of Elections was contacted by the Centerline clerk after roughly two dozen absentee voter applications were dropped off for processing. The clerk noticed the signatures did not match after cross-checking them with voter signatures in the Qualified Voter File.

Investigators with the Department of the Attorney General began examining the case in November 2020. They found that the applications came from the Father Murray Nursing Home and were for residents who had not yet told staff if they wished to vote in the 2020 general election.

Officials determined that Rainey, who worked at the nursing home, did not contact the residents as set by procedure and instead filled out the applications, forging their signatures. She then turned the applications over to another employee and instructed them to deliver the documents to the clerk's office.

Rainey was charged on three of the applications.

"I appreciate our partners at the Department of State and Michigan State Police who brought this case to us," said Attorney General Dana Nessel. "These collaborative investigations assist in maintaining the integrity of our elections, and this case highlights the scrutiny applications and ballots undergo throughout the election process to weed out instances of attempted fraud. We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone – regardless of political party – who attempts to undermine our elections."

Rainey and two other women were charged in election-related cases last year.

Carless Clark, who was charged with forging her grandson's signature on his absentee ballot envelope, pleaded guilty last month and was sentenced to 12 months probation and ordered to perform 19 days of community service.

Another woman, Nancy Williams, faces trial in four Wayne County cases. Williams is accused of developing and implementing a plan to obtain absentee ballots for those legally incapacitated and under her care. A fifth case was filed against her in Oakland County.

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