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AG Nessel Concludes Review of Antrim County Clerk Allowing Unsupervised Spousal Access to Office, Computer
August 06, 2026
LANSING – Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the conclusion of her department’s review of a case concerning the Antrim County Clerk, Victoria Bishop, allowing her husband unsupervised access to her office and county computer. The Department found no criminal conduct occurred and the Bureau of Elections confirmed that, during the time of unsupervised access, there was no attempt made to access the Qualified Voter File (QVF). The investigation likewise produced no evidence that any sensitive county files were accessed during this time.
The case was investigated, contemplative of potential unauthorized access to a county official’s computer and restricted records by a non-employee, and referred to the Michigan Department of Attorney General by Michigan State Police.
“Clerks across our state have an obligation to be good stewards and guardians of sensitive records; perhaps chief among them the Qualified Voter File,” said Attorney General Nessel. “There are obvious concerns with any county clerk allowing unsupervised and unauthorized access to their computers, workspaces, and files. The Qualified Voter File is essential election infrastructure, solemnly entrusted to our elected county and municipal clerks, and they all bare a responsibility to safeguard that which uphold and enable our practice of democracy. My office has closed this file finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, though this case surely represents a clear misstep from adequate practices and prudent policy.”
The incident was reported to law enforcement as the Clerk’s office is a place where sensitive county records and the state QVF could be potentially accessed. The investigation and review indicate that Clerk Bishop did permit her husband to occupy her office and likely use her county computer, though only to watch the ongoing County Commission meeting via live stream.
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