WYOMING, Mich., Aug. 4, 2023 — A statement issued by the attorney representing Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood explained that the mayor will not resign, despite being charged on July 18 with allegedly coordinating as a fake elector to give Michigan’s electoral votes to former President Donald Trump in 2020 instead of current President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in the state by over 150,000 votes. In response, state Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) issued the following statement:
“I am extremely disappointed in Mayor Vanderwood’s decision to continue serving in his official capacity, as he faces serious charges pertaining to the integrity of our elections and public institutions. Simply put, this is another demonstration of poor judgment and in no way serves to benefit Wyoming residents.
“Contrary to the statement provided by Mayor Vanderwood’s attorney, the work of the mayor is not ‘completely unrelated’ to the charges against him. Rather, the work is deeply rooted in the public’s trust of our elections and institutions, both of which are directly related to the mayor and city operations. While these charges actively move through the courts, it is not realistic to believe that an indicted, distracted mayor will be able to properly administer the duties of office at the level our city, our community, deserves.
“The city has important work ahead of it — work that is essential for the people of Wyoming — and the negative optics of having an indicted mayor do not allow us to facilitate that work effectively or expediently.
“Mayor Vanderwood has a responsibility to serve his constituency to the best of his ability, which I believe, in this case, requires service through absence. Therefore, I, again, ask Mayor Vanderwood to reconsider his position and to recuse himself from his mayoral duties until a verdict has been rendered on all charges.”