Over the past several weeks, Hillsdale Conservatives submitted a formal demand and proposed resolution to the Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners concerning election record preservation and governance duties arising from sworn court testimony and a dismissed search warrant. Rather than place the matter on the agenda for public discussion, the Chair refused agenda placement and the Board declined to deliberate during public comment.
Because the Board’s own bylaws require that a person who wishes to address the Board “in an extensive manner” be placed on the agenda upon timely request, we have now formally invoked that rule. The current request is not asking the Board to decide the merits of anything. It is simply asking for the lawful opportunity to present the materials publicly so that all commissioners, not just the Chair, may decide whether to take action.
Given the prior refusals, we have also notified county and state representatives as well as the Attorney General and multiple other organizations in advance. This ensures transparency, preserves the public record, and makes clear that any further denial is not accidental or procedural confusion, but a conscious choice. This is how lawful process works: notice, record, and accountability in public view. We will see if our elected representatives choose to remain silent on criminal admissions, under oath, of election materials being unlawfully taken and destroyed or take action to secure our elections.
Here is the Email and attachments sent on 1-15-2026
Local elections are not secured by silence or by procedural avoidance. They are secured when those entrusted with oversight are willing to hear concerns openly, place matters on the record, and let the public see how decisions are made. That is not an extraordinary demand; it is the minimum expectation of lawful governance and should not need to be asked for.
Hillsdale County’s voters deserve confidence that election records are handled properly, that credible issues are not ignored, and that their representatives welcome transparency rather than resist it. In the end, protecting election integrity should not be controversial. It should be something every elected official is willing to do in full view of the public they serve, the exact opposite is on full display for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.
A Civic Report on Sheriff Hodshire’s Intimidation, the Fair Board’s Contradictory Actions, and the Ongoing Abuse of Authority in Hillsdale County
A Sudden Reversal
After weeks of locked gates, intimidation, and the use of law enforcement to exclude citizens, the Hillsdale County Agricultural Society has abruptly reversed course.
On Thursday, residents who were previously denied membership received an email from Fair Manager Sabine Young, stating that—after consulting an attorney—the Society will now “allow” people to apply for membership with a $10 fee and membership card.
“We have consulted an attorney, and we are going to allow you to apply for membership with $10 and filling out the membership card.” — Sabine Young, Fair Manager
For many residents, this message was astonishing not because it extended an offer, but because it confirmed what they already knew: the Fair Board had acted unlawfully.
The Letter That Started It All
Just weeks earlier, every citizen who attempted to pay their $10 membership fee had received a formal rejection letter from the Society’s Executive Board of Directors:
“After careful review, we regret to inform you that due to violations of our code of conduct, we are unable to grant you membership in the Hillsdale County Agricultural Society at this time. The Society upholds high standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism among its members. Adherence to these standards is essential to maintaining the positive and collaborative environment our organization strives to promote.” — Executive Board of Directors, Hillsdale County Agricultural Society
No specific “violations” were ever cited. There were no hearings, no incidents, and no evidence—only a vague moral accusation used to block citizens who had done nothing more than attempt to join.
From “Code of Conduct” to Confession
The shift from that rejection letter to the latest email is staggering. At first, the Society claimed residents had violated its “code of conduct.” Then, when those same citizens began documenting the unlawful refusals and the Sheriff’s involvement, the Fair Board reversed itself—admitting it had sought legal counsel and would now “allow” people to “apply.”
Both claims cannot be true. Either those residents were guilty of misconduct, or they were unlawfully denied and are now being invited back under pressure. The latter is self-evident. The reversal is an implicit confession that the original denials were unlawful, discriminatory, and indefensible.
The Role of Law Enforcement
The contradiction didn’t end on paper. When citizens questioned the denials, Fair Board President Nathan Lambright—who also serves as the Undersheriff of Hillsdale County—used his position to enforce those illegal decisions.
Armed officers were called to the fairgrounds multiple times to confront residents attempting to pay their $10 dues. When the public persisted, the Board held a secret meeting inside the Hillsdale County Jail, guarded by the Sheriff’s Department.
Following that meeting, Sheriff Scott Hodshire issued a message threatening residents with trespassing charges. Deputies on scene acknowledged that the jail is public property, but the Sheriff later declared the area “restricted,” turning what would have been a misdemeanor into a potential felony.
That use of law-enforcement authority to suppress lawful civic participation constitutes retaliation under color of law, potentially violating both MCL 750.505 (misconduct in office) and 18 U.S.C. § 242 (deprivation of rights under color of law).
The Legal Reality
Under MCL 453.233 (Act 80 of 1855), any resident over 18 who pays the membership fee “shall be a stockholder or member therein.” The Society’s own website repeats it:
“A person becomes a member of this society by paying the sum of ten ($10.00) dollars… Those members eligible to vote must have paid thirty (30) days prior to that meeting.”
That is not a request—it is a statutory right. By refusing those payments, the Fair Board violated both state law and its own Articles of Association. Under MCL 453.234, anyone who tenders payment in good faith is a member by law, even if the Board refuses to record it.
A Pattern of Deception
Board Claim
Contradiction / Reality
“The Fair is a community event.”
Later declared “private property.”
“Applicants violated the Code of Conduct.”
No evidence, no process, no record.
“The Fair doesn’t take tax money.”
MDARD state grants of $40,000 (2018) and $63,916 (2023).
Belated admission after legal exposure that membership must be accepted.
Every contradiction served one purpose: to control access and silence dissent.
A Broader Breach of Public Trust
The key figures behind these actions—Lambright (Undersheriff), Sheriff Hodshire, former legislator Bruce Caswell, and former judge Mike Nye—have all held positions of public authority. Their silence or complicity has turned a once-respected agricultural society into a case study in how public office can be misused to protect insiders and punish citizens.
When a county’s top lawman uses his badge to threaten residents exercising lawful rights, that isn’t “security.” That’s authoritarianism in a small-town uniform.
And when long-trusted officials stand silent as those violations unfold, that silence is complicity. Whether through fear or allegiance, their inaction amplifies the harm.
Damage Control Isn’t Accountability
The new email inviting “applications” doesn’t undo a month of misconduct. It doesn’t erase the intimidation. And it doesn’t absolve officials who broke the law.
The Fair Board’s sudden compliance only came after public exposure, legal documentation, and outside reporting to higher authorities, including:
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office
The Michigan State Police Professional Standards Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
The Internal Revenue Service
Those agencies now possess:
The denial letters citing nonexistent “code violations”
The Sheriff’s threats of prosecution
Records of the secret jail meeting
The follow-up email confirming attorney consultation and reversal
Together, they form a timeline of unlawful exclusion, intimidation, and deception.
Restoring Integrity in Hillsdale County
True accountability begins with transparency and restitution:
Recognize every tendered $10 as valid membership under Act 80 of 1855.
Hold a lawful, open election in December, supervised by a neutral authority.
Investigate the Sheriff’s Department’s involvement in intimidation and retaliation.
Sanction or remove any official found to have violated their oath or misused public resources.
The Fair calls itself “The Most Popular Fair on Earth.” To earn that title again, Hillsdale’s leaders must understand that popularity means nothing without integrity, accountability, and law.
A Turning Point
This story is not merely about the Fair—it is about fairness. And Hillsdale County residents have made it clear: they will no longer be locked out of their own institutions, no matter who stands at the gate.
By Friday—the day after the Society’s reversal—nearly forty new memberships were accepted without incident. The Fair Manager and staff were polite, courteous, and professional. Not a single call to the Sheriff’s Department was made. No disruptions. No conflict. Just citizens exercising the rights they already had under law.
For 175 years, the Hillsdale County Fair has been where families meet, neighbors reunite, and generations show what this county can grow and build together. That legacy does not belong to a board or a badge—it belongs to the people of Hillsdale County.
So let this be a turning point. Let every citizen who loves this county and believes in fairness take part—pay the $10, become a member, and help guide the Fair into its next chapter.
The Fair Office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed Wednesdays) and will be closed Monday this week. Residents have until November 14th to become members eligible to vote at the December election meeting.
If you believe in an agricultural fair that puts 4-H and open class first—that values honesty, transparency, and equal access—be part of the change. The Fair’s best years don’t have to be behind it. For the next 175 years to truly live up to the name “The Most Popular Fair on Earth,” it must once again belong to everyone.
