When Democrats Start Questioning Their Own Votes: Michigan Democrats Turn on Each Other
- Justice for Denis Preka
- May 17
- 3 min read
Linda Thom
Amerigo Press, LLC
May 17, 2026, 8:37 a.m. ET
When Political Insiders Lose, Suddenly Audits Matter. On May 4, 2026, Craig Mauger of The Detroit News published the article: “AG Dana Nessel joins call for audit of Democratic convention results.” More: Nessel questions validity of Michigan Democratic Party convention voting results
That headline alone says a lot.
Because for years, Americans were told that questioning election procedures or vote integrity was dangerous, irresponsible, and somehow a threat to democracy itself. People who raised concerns were criticized, mocked, and politically attacked.
But suddenly, when political insiders lose, audits and voting concerns become reasonable?
Suddenly, transparency matters only when the outcome does not favor the people in power?
That is the question many people are now asking — including myself as a victim’s family member and advocate for victims’ rights.
My main question about why Dana Nessel joined the call for an audit of the Democratic convention results is this:
Is she truly seeking transparency and fairness for MSU trustee candidate Sylvia Santana?
Or is she reacting because her longtime political ally, close friend, and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald — the person many believed she wanted as her successor for Attorney General — lost?
That is the question myself and many people are now asking.
Because when powerful political alliances are involved, the public has every right to question whether these sudden calls for “transparency” are truly about protecting democracy or protecting political interests.
That is a fair question for the public to ask. This political relationship is not speculation. It was publicly celebrated for years.
In an October 8, 2019 interview on "Keeping Up With The Chaldeans featuring Karen McDonald, James Esshaki, and Nicholas Hannawa" Karen McDonald proudly stated:
“I did just receive the endorsement from Attorney General Dana Nessel. And it’s the first time I think ever in Michigan where the attorney general has endorsed somebody in a primary.”
That statement matters today more than ever.
Because now, years later, Dana Nessel is publicly raising concerns about Democratic convention voting after her longtime political ally lost.
So people have every right to ask: Is this truly about transparency and protecting democracy?
Or is this about political loyalty and disappointment over the outcome?
Political friendships should never outweigh public trust. Integrity should apply equally whether your allies win or lose.
As someone who personally experienced what I believe was political protection inside the justice system after my son Denis Preka’s death, I understand how dangerous selective accountability can become.
In my own experience, powerful political relationships mattered more than truth, accountability, and justice. That is why watching these same political figures suddenly speak about “fairness” and “transparency” feels deeply troubling to many people.
The American people are not losing trust because they ask questions. They are losing trust because too many politicians only welcome questions when those questions benefit them politically.
Transparency should not depend on who wins. Integrity should not depend on political friendships. And accountability should apply equally to everyone including the powerful people demanding it today.
Because democracy cannot survive under double standards. And justice cannot survive when political loyalty becomes more important than truth. When Democrats start pointing fingers at each other over voting integrity, what else should Americans expect?
I understand when Republicans or Donald Trump questioned Democrats about elections. That was political opposition. But when Democrats begin accusing their own party and demanding audits against each other, that reveals something much deeper.
A political party should not be collapsing from within. And that is exactly what many people are now witnessing.
As a Democrat, I am deeply worried about the state of Michigan. I have seen with my own eyes how corruption, political connections, and favoritism can impact the justice system and destroy public trust.
In my own experience, Michigan’s justice system is broken. I did not choose to become an investigator. I became one because I had no choice. After my son Denis Preka’s death, I realized that the very people who were supposed to protect victims and uphold justice were failing families like mine.
That pain changed me forever.
I became not only a mother fighting for her son, but an advocate searching for truth inside a system that too often protects powerful people instead of ordinary citizens.
The people entrusted to protect us are failing us.
And that is why it is time for people to speak up. It is time for citizens to stand together.
And it is time to hold accountable the politicians who stopped serving the people and started serving themselves.
Because silence only protects corruption.
Linda Preka Thom
Mother of Denis Preka
Founder of Justice for Denis
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