Michigan Sheriff Refers Election Officials for Federal Investigation Over Poll Book Data Deletion
A Michigan sheriff has moved to refer election officials to federal investigators after receiving evidence that managers instructed staff not to report potential crimes to law enforcement, a clear signal that election integrity failures are now a federal matter.
Berry County Sheriff Dar Leaf announced his office is in receipt of evidence showing Melissa Thomas and other managers communicated to whistleblowers that they may not report evidence of crimes to law enforcement. The sheriff’s office described this as a crime. Melissa Thomas will also be referred for federal investigation.
— Sheriff Dar Leaf (@SheriffLeaf) September 21, 2026
My office is in receipt of evidence that Melissa Thomas and other managers are communicating to whistleblowers that they may not report evidence of crimes to the law enforcement. This is a crime.
The announcement comes after a Michigan Court of Appeals judge advised Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on September 16, 2026, to notify all clerks that electronic poll book data must be preserved under the law. The court issued an injunction directing Washtenaw County shall not delete electronic poll book data.
Municipal clerks have reported that they have not received an email informing them of the injunction. That failure to communicate is now part of the sheriff’s investigation.
The Berry County Sheriff’s Office is notifying all clerks that they should retain electronic poll book data from all elections for 22 months as required by federal statute and Michigan Compiled Law 168.811. The office invited anyone with information pertaining to the criminal investigation to contact it and receive confidential informant status.
State and federal requirements make clear that election records must be held for the full 22-month period. The actions described in the sheriff’s announcement raise direct questions about compliance with those preservation rules and the proper handling of potential evidence of wrongdoing in election administration.
This is not a bureaucratic mix-up. This is a pattern. Whistleblowers were reportedly told they could not report crimes. Electronic poll book data was allegedly deleted despite a court injunction. And the Secretary of State’s office has not ensured clerks received the preservation order.
When election officials silence employees who try to report wrongdoing, they destroy the core of election transparency. When poll book data is deleted, the public loses the ability to audit the vote. When state authorities fail to notify clerks of a court order, they create a cover-up by neglect.
Sheriff Leaf is right to demand a federal investigation. The FBI must probe whether any election records were destroyed in violation of federal statute. If Melissa Thomas and other managers directed employees to stay silent, that is a crime against every voter in Michigan.
Election integrity is not a partisan issue. It is a constitutional requirement. The American republic depends on clean, auditable election records. When clerks delete data and tell workers not to report crimes, the system breaks.
Jocelyn Benson must answer why her office has not ensured compliance. The Court of Appeals told her to notify clerks. Did she? If not, why not?
Sheriff Leaf has opened a door that the Michigan establishment wants closed. A federal investigation into electronic poll book data deletion is long overdue. The people of Michigan deserve to know who ordered the deletion, who covered it up, and who will be held accountable.
The clock is running. The 22-month retention law is clear. The FBI must act before more evidence disappears.