Questions swirl whether candidate in Eaton County is qualified for ballot

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – The 2024 Democratic candidate for the Eaton County Drain Commissioner post may not be qualified for the ballot.

Will Pitylak is officially the Democratic nominee for Eaton County Drain Commissioner. However, Eaton County Clerk Diana Bosworth and her team have been investigating Pitylak’s failure to file required campaign finance reports for approximately 18 months after he lost the Democratic primary for the same position in 2020.

Pitylak was unopposed in the August primary. Previously, he lost the 2020 primary to Branden Dyer, who lost against incumbent Republican Drain Commissioner Richard Wagner.

However, he was still required to file quarterly reports with the Eaton County Clerk. Officials in Eaton County say he failed to do that.

“He was notified prior to September of 2022 of the missing reports and the filing fee due,” Eaton County Communications Director Logan Bailey wrote in an email to 6 News. “He paid $500 for the July 2021 Quarterly late fee in September of 2022. At that time, the Clerk’s Office gave him Waiver status, which stopped the notifications moving forward.”

The fine and its payment do not appear on the clerk’s campaign finance records database. Bailey says the clerk, by policy, doesn’t post receipts online.

A waiver status means a candidate does not expect to raise or spend more than $1,000. The moment they raise even a penny more than $1,000, they are required to file campaign finance reports.

Bosworth, the elected Eaton County Clerk, declined to comment on 6 News’ inquiries, referring all questions to Bailey.

To qualify for the ballot, a candidate is required to sign an ‘affidavit of identity’ form, which is signed under the penalty of perjury. By signing the form, Pitylak affirmed he was in compliance with the Michigan Campaign Finance Act at the time he signed.

Compliance includes having filed all required reports and paid all fines.

Current Meridian Township Clerk Deborah Guthrie filed an affidavit of identity early this year when filing for re-election, but she had failed to pay outstanding campaign fines. As a result, she was barred from the ballot.

A Michigan elected official with substantial knowledge of Michigan Campaign Finance Act rules and regulations says Pitylak was required to file reports in January 2021, March 2021, July 2021, January 2022, March 2022 and July 2022. His payment of the maximum fine for not filing the July 2021 quarterly report still did not bring him into compliance with the law, the official says.

Bailey confirmed with 6 News that Pitylak was required to file the reports.

“The Clerk’s Office did not knowingly qualify any candidate that should have been disqualified,” Bailey wrote. “The Clerk’s Office was made aware of potential issues on July 26 and notified all relevant parties to try and rectify any issues. At that point, it was outside of the Clerk’s power to remove or make any determination.”

Officials from Eaton County have been in communications with state elections officials Bailey says trying to determine what the next steps are.

Pitylak says he has not heard anything about the controversy. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” he tells 6 News in a phone interview.

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