Freedom is imminent for Benton Harbor political activist Edward Pinkney. He has been in prison since 2014 for election fraud related to a failed recall attempt of former Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower. Pinkney forged petition signatures and changed dates on the documents to make it appear all the necessary signatures were collected in time to force the recall. That election was called off, but a subsequent recall went forward with then-City Commissioner Marcus Muhammad defeating Hightower. The Michigan Department of Corrections lists his release date as June 13, which would be two-and-a-half years after he began what could have been a decade-long incarceration. Pinkney has a criminal history of election crimes dating back to 2005, with a dozen convictions on his record.
