Pontiac mayoral candidate targeted for 2010 election fraud scheme

By Max Bryan, The Detroit Information

A Pontiac Mayoral candidate who was convicted of a number of counts in 2010 in reference to an election fraud schedule, mentioned he discovered from his errors, though some residents surprise if he’s the fitting individual to steer town.

Mike McGuinness, who’s now president of the Pontiac Metropolis Council, is likely one of the eight candidates to change into the subsequent mayor of Pontiac. Tim Greimel, the present mayor of town, runs as a democrat for the tenth congress district of Michigan.

In 2011, McGuinness was accused of the fraudulent participation within the names of three Tea Celebration members as candidates for the Oakland County Board of Commissioners or the legislative energy of Michigan within the November 2010 elections.

McGuinness, who on the time was chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Celebration, was convicted of a number of counts of pronunciation and publication and notion in reference to the scheme. He was sentenced to probation, 180 hours of group service and a high quality of $ 1,000 for his crimes, in line with the Related Press.

The courtroom experiences of the McGuinness case are below seal on the Oakland County Circuit Courtroom.

Since his conviction, McGuinness has served within the Pontiac College Board for 5 years and as chairman of the council since 2022. He’s at present government director of the Oakland County Historic Society.

Three residents referred to McGuinness’s previous in the course of the Pontiac municipal council on Tuesday, the final for the mayors of 5 August. The highest two voters will proceed to the November basic elections.

“I do not need (a) extra felony like my mayor,” mentioned resident Renee Backley. “Mike isn’t proper.”

H. Invoice Maxey claimed that McGuinness leaves himself “open to analysis” due to his previous.

Gloria Miller accused native information shops to focus on the mayor candidate Deirdre Waterman, who’s investigated by the FBI for alleged abuse of $ 1.6 million in public cash, whereas she was mayor of 2014-2021.

“They aren’t speaking concerning the previous of Mr. McGuinness,” mentioned Miller.

After the assembly, McGuinness acknowledged his felony conviction, including that it was ‘a really painful lesson’.

“(I) has paid a really large prize, and it’s one thing I’ve to face and deal with for the remainder of my life, from skilled, personally and thru my public service,” mentioned McGuinness.

“It has formed me as a result of I’ve been very targeted and intentionally to by no means get caught up or to become involved in a multitude, as a result of I understand how painful, demanding and unproductive that might be. So if I used to be chosen, I’d rule and put on myself by means of these difficulties previously.”

McGuinness mentioned he understands or his previous ensures that residents of Pontiac vote for him.

Wendell Woods, who additionally runs for Mayor, doubted the dearth of seriousness within the condemnation of McGuinness.

“If that had been a black man who had been convicted, or a black lady, would he have obtained the identical verdict?” Woods requested.

Candidate Gill Garrett mentioned that he respects the authorized course of and the belongings of voters to judge the file of a candidate.

“I’m not right here to guage somebody’s previous, I’m right here to supply a transparent and accountable imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Pontiac,” Garrett mentioned in an announcement. “My marketing campaign is aimed on the points which might be most vital for our residents who’re transparency, public security, alternatives and restore belief within the native authorities.”

Mark Holland, one other candidate, argued that Garrett and Kermit Williams, a mayors hopeful and a former municipal councilor for 11 years, might have modified the constitution of town in bar -criminals of the workplace in Pontiac, however not.

Waterman mentioned that she was nicely conscious of the conviction of McGuinness, however mentioned she is extra involved about how he operates because the chairman of the council. She claimed that some enterprise homeowners don’t get the cash from the American Rescue Plan Act that they promised on the McGuinness watch.

McGuinness mentioned on Wednesday that the GREIMEL metropolis council has paused some funds to firms to examine compliance points and can resume this quickly. He additionally mentioned that the council authorised the cash -owning because the legislative department of town.

“The mayor and the chief energy is the chief, and they’re answerable for performing what we’ve licensed,” mentioned McGuinness.

Initially revealed: July 30, 2025 at 3.12 pm Edt