HASTINGS, Mich. (WOOD) — An affidavit by Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf claims a subpoena to turn over his voter fraud files is an attempt to obstruct his “very serious” investigation that he says involves “Serbian foreign nationals.”
Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson confirmed he filed a subpoena on March 7 for Leaf’s investigation into unsubstantiated claims by President Donald Trump supporters that Dominion voting tabulators were illegally manipulated during the November 2020 election.
“My department is in possession of sensitive documents that are part of an ongoing investigation involving Dominion employees,” Leaf wrote in the affidavit dated March 8. “These Dominion employees directed and tasked Serbian foreign nationals to remotely access the Michigan election system.
“I am not willing to compromise my investigation by providing my entire file,” the affidavit continued.
He wrote his investigation also “relates to” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Leaf declined to comment to News 8 on Tuesday.
Hilson, acting as a special prosecutor, told News 8 that he issued a subpoena on March 7 for Leaf’s records as part of his case in Oakland County against three Trump supporters indicted by a citizens grand jury of accessing and tampering with Dominion voting tabulators.
The trial is scheduled to begin April 1 against attorney Stefanie Lambert. Also charged are former GOP attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno, former GOP state Rep. Daire Rendon.
Hilson has said there was not sufficient evidence to charge Leaf with a crime.
In his affidavit, Leaf wrote that Lambert has been working for him and his office since December 2020.
Five vote tabulators were taken from three counties in Michigan to a hotel room, according to documents released by Nessel’s office. Investigators found that the tabulators were broken into and “tests” were performed on the equipment. They said that DePerno was there.
The Barry County clerk told News 8 in June 2022 that someone from the Barry County sheriff’s department had taken a Dominion voting tabulator from Irving Township in 2021. She said when the machine was returned, it had a broken security seal.
Another machine involved was in Roscommon County, where Rendon allegedly told the county clerk that the state House was investigating “election fraud,” Nessel has previously said.
Hilson has said that county and municipal clerks who handed over voting tabulators were “deceived by some of the charged defendants.”
“The clerks had no idea of the scope, nature or duration of how their tabulators were going to be manipulated or that they would be out of their possessions for an extended period of time,” the prosecutor wrote in a release.
Experts asked to look at the voting machines were also deceived, Hilson said, saying they were told that what was happening was legal.
In Leaf’s affidavit, he said he planned to file a motion to quash the subpoena and a civil lawsuit against Hilson “for attempting to usurp my investigation.”
Barry County sheriff claims special prosecutor trying to ‘usurp’ voting machine probe | WOODTV.com