Former Trump staffer gets 30 days in jail after being convicted on 10 counts of election fraud

Failed Michigan State House candidate Brandon Michael Hall—who was a prominent volunteer with the Donald Trump campaign—was sentenced to 30 days in county jail Tuesday for forging signatures on petition forms in 2012, the Detroit News reports.

Ottawa Circuit Judge Ed Post sentenced Hall, who was found guilty on ten counts of election fraud on November 30, 2016, to an additional 18 months' probation, 60 hours of community service and $3,105 in legal costs. He was convicted of forging other peoples’ signature in support of 2012 judicial candidate Christ Houtaling.

The case eventually made its way to the Michigan Supreme Court in June 2016. Hall’s defense argued his crimes should be tried as misdemeanors instead of felonies. The state Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling in favor of Hall, noting the extent of his deception.

Hall “attempted to disguise his handwriting by using different colored pens and writing with his right and left hands,” the Supreme Court ruled. “Defendant continued to sign false nominator signatures the next day while [Houtaling] drove defendant to Lansing.”

Houtaling and Hall’s accomplice Zachary Savage were not charged for the incident.

Earlier this year, Hall lost a primary bid for the Michigan State House. He’s a self-described “political junkie” and publisher of the blog West Michigan Politics. He was a well-known Republican activist who volunteered for Trump's Michigan campaign.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette declined to comment Hall’s case except to tell the News, “The verdict and sentence pretty much speak for themselves here.”