1918 United States Senate election in Michigan
The race was highly controversial for campaign spending practices by both major candidates, with Newberry also hammering Ford for his pacifism during World War I, his antisemitism, and for helping his son Edsel avoid the draft.A month later, a letter was drafted by one of the men present, Roger M. Andrews, encouraging Newberry to enter the race as Sleeper's preferred candidate.[2] In early August, newspapers including the Escanaba Journal, Charlotte Republican, and Senator Smith's own Grand Rapids Herald (under the pen of Arthur Vandenberg) published editorials criticizing Newberry for his excessive campaign spending and declaring that Newberry should not be nominated because if elected, there would be no difficulty for Democrats to prove he had obtained his seat illegally."[10] Newberry's largest donations came from his brother John, his brother-in-law Victor Barnes, and Henry B. Joy, president of Packard Motors.One week later, however, Ford hinted at the possibility of a recount, arguing that Wall Street conspired to back Newberry because he opposed President Wilson."[19] Ultimately, the Committee on Privileges and Elections, in recognition that the case would come before the following Senate seated in March, submitted a substitute Resolution, authorizing the preservation of ballots and documents for the hearing of testimony and actual recount by the next Congress.[21] In the 66th Congress, Republicans overtook the Democrats as the majority party in the Senate, and Privileges and Elections Chairman Pomerene was replaced by William P. Dillingham of Vermont.[27] Prosecutors presented evidence alleging fraudulent expenditures of between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in connection with the primary and a vast political conspiracy throughout the state, including bribery, corruption of the press and elections boards, and voter fraud.[29] On January 5, the defendants argued on demurrer that the indictment was unauthorized because Congress lacked the power to regulate primary elections; though the judge denied the motion to demur, the Supreme Court later upheld this argument in Newberry v. United States.