By John Clore | Investigative Journalist | 3/28/2025 at 9:32 AM
LANSING, MI — Michigan House Republicans are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a sprawling network of voter registration fraud, tax violations, and partisan electioneering linked to GBI Strategies, a shadowy political operation accused of submitting suspicious voter registrations during the 2020 election cycle.
In a major development, Speaker Pro Tempore Rachelle Smit, Chair of the House Election Integrity Committee, has sent a formal request to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging a federal investigation into these alleged schemes — which they argue involve violations of both IRS law and election integrity standards.
The letter was signed by Smit and 21 additional GOP lawmakers. Tellingly, not a single Democrat signed the letter — raising eyebrows about whether Michigan Democrats are willing to scrutinize political allies when electoral misconduct is suspected.
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Republicans Sounded the Alarm in 2023—Lawmakers and Media Ignored It!
This isn’t the first time GBI Strategies has come under scrutiny.
Back on September 1, 2023, then-Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo held a press conference revealing that GBI Strategies had submitted thousands of allegedly fraudulent voter registration applications to Muskegon County during the 2020 election cycle.
“Millions of dollars were funneled to GBI Strategies by the Democrat Party and Joe Biden’s campaign,” Karamo stated.
Despite the explosive nature of the allegations and the supporting documentation, Karamo’s press conference received almost no media coverage outside of conservative outlets.
Karamo also pointed out that the Democratic Party and its affiliates had worked to discredit the claims without ever acknowledging the law enforcement investigations already underway at the time.
She further defended the 16 alternate electors now under legal attack, saying they were following legal procedures amid what the GOP viewed as a compromised election.
The fact that this same scandal has resurfaced now — with the added weight of DOJ involvement being requested — suggests the story was never debunked, only buried.
Back on September 1, 2023, then-Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo held a press conference revealing that GBI Strategies had submitted thousands of allegedly fraudulent voter registration applications to Muskegon County during the 2020 election cycle. pic.twitter.com/YPYt0vrufK
— John Clore (@JohnTClore) March 28, 2025
Fake Registrations, Democrat Ties, and a Trail of Millions
At the heart of the request is GBI Strategies, a political consulting firm paid over $2.5 million by the Voter Registration Project — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit barred from partisan electioneering under federal law. The funds were for “voter registration consulting,” but state police and clerks across Michigan began sounding alarms in 2020 about large batches of suspicious and clearly fraudulent registration forms being dropped off at local offices.
Discrepancies in birthdates, signatures, and addresses sparked an investigation by the Michigan State Police, the Secretary of State, and Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office. Yet, clerks were never notified of the investigation, even as questionable forms continued to arrive — sometimes from hotel rooms.
Compounding the controversy, GBI Strategies operated in Michigan under the name “Empower Michigan”, listing an address that matches the Michigan Democratic Party headquarters at 606 Townsend St., Lansing. Coincidence?
Even more troubling, public records show that Joe Biden and Senator Gary Peters each paid $242,133 to GBI Strategies during the 2020 election — a detail critics say could explain why Michigan’s top Democrats kept the investigation under wraps.
Fraud, Firearms, and Fuzzy Finances: The GBI Web
At the center of the current call for federal investigation is GBI Strategies’ network of operations across Michigan, including an office in Southfield where police discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition during a 2020 investigation. The weapons reportedly belonged to Gary Bell, the firm’s elusive founder.
Who Paid for the Fraud? Follow the Money
Financial records reveal that Joe Biden and Sen. Gary Peters each paid over $240,000 to GBI Strategies in 2020. Meanwhile, 501(c)(3) nonprofits like the Voter Registration Project and the Voter Participation Center funneled millions into GBI’s operations, despite IRS restrictions against partisan activity.
“The Voter Registration Project gave GBI Strategies more than $2.5 million for ‘consulting’—but what they were actually doing was electioneering, and likely illegally,” said Rep. Smit.
If confirmed, these actions constitute tax fraud, election manipulation, and misuse of nonprofit status to influence partisan outcomes.
Why Michigan Officials Stayed Silent
Despite being fully aware of the ongoing investigation, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel never informed clerks or the public. This raises a critical question: Were they protecting political allies and high-profile candidates like Joe Biden?
Both officials had months to come forward before the 2020 election. They didn’t.
Democrats Silent, DOJ Urged to Act
To date, no Democrat lawmaker has joined the call for investigation—a move critics say shows that “election integrity” is only a priority when convenient for the left.
“If clerks, law enforcement, and now multiple lawmakers are aware of this scheme and the DOJ still refuses to act, what hope do we have for a secure 2024 or 2026 election?” asked one GOP representative.
The petition to AG Bondi includes testimony from Capitol Research Center’s Parker Thayer, along with documents, investigative reports, and financial records connecting 501(c)(3) shell groups with election operations.
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by: John Clore | 3/20/2025 at 9:11 AM LANSING, MI – After writing Shocking Waste: Federal Audit Uncovers Billions Wasted on Foreign Social Programs And seeing countless people on social media say, “We need DOGE in Michigan,” I decided to DOGE Michigan’s wasteful spending—here’s what I uncovered. Michigan’s state government
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