{"success":true,"data":{"main":{"content":"## Candidate background and statement\n\nScott Aughney - Scott Aughney) is the 2026 U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan nominee for Michigan Secretary of State.\n\nHe is a longtime Jackson County, Michigan resident (associated with the Jackson area, including past references to Leoni Township), election integrity investigator/whistleblower, self-employed drywall contractor, and repeated political candidate focused on constitutional principles and election processes. \n\nSince February 2021, Aughney has been active as an independent election whistleblower and investigator in Michigan. He is a founding member of Citizens for Electoral Justice and has been described as a de facto leader of Locus Standi investigations (grassroots efforts examining public election records across Michigan counties from roughly fall 2022 to spring 2023). He has also interacted with groups focused on election integrity.\n\nHis work has centered on analyzing election records, FOIA requests for voter registration and related data (including issues with files like epb_history.csv, Qualified Voter File/QVF data, timestamps, and user codes), and claims of irregularities or restricted access. In May 2024, he filed a pro se lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims against then-Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and related entities, alleging subversion of FOIA requests and obstruction of access to election data; he sought injunctive relief related to data restoration and transparency. He has publicly stated that local clerks, law enforcement, and prosecutors often lack sufficient knowledge of election law and has reported findings to authorities, expressing frustration over limited follow-through.\n\nHe is highly knowledgeable about Michigan election laws and processes due to years of hands-on investigation. ","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:15:19.000Z"},"main2":{"content":"","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:14:38.000Z"},"sidebar1":{"content":"![1000054097.jpg](/api/images/file/14b34b71855ce96138c3ff644b764d4e43daa8898cb5c5a133ae0e921f3b4c8a.jpg)","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:14:42.000Z"},"sidebar2":{"content":"","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:14:47.000Z"},"sidebar3":{"content":"","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:14:51.000Z"},"sidebar4":{"content":"","canEdit":false,"groupId":37,"groupName":"Secretary of State","changedBy":"Admin User","changedOn":"2026-08-11T14:14:45.000Z"}},"contentUpdatedAt":"2026-08-11T14:15:19.000Z"}