Detroit city worker blows whistle, claims ballots were ordered backdated, FBI probing

The FBI is investigating allegations of election fraud in Detroit after a city worker stepped forward and claimed election workers were asked to backdate ballots that had come in after the election deadline had passed, multiple officials said.

A senior law enforcement official in Washington confirmed that an investigation was opened after the whistleblower's concerns were forwarded from the Michigan Republican Party. "The FBI is investigating," the official said.

GOP officials in Michigan said the whistleblower was identified and assisted by Phill Kline, the head of the Thomas More Society's Amistad Project, which has been litigating voting disputes and irregularities across the country for months. 

Kline declined comment.

But Michigan GOP chairwoman Laura Cox confirmed Friday afternoon the here party referred a whistleblower to the FBI and U.S. attorney in Detroit.

"The MIGOP has referred a whistleblower case to the U.S. Attorney in which a city of Detroit employee was directed to change the date of receipt, in the official election record on ballots which had been received after the deadline," Cox said. "This directive allegedly came from both City and State employees who were working at the TCF center. These allegations are highlighted by the city of Detroit’s attempt to block Republican poll challengers from supervising this process."

This is a developing story.