Republican Senate Nominee Dismissed From Alleged Counterfeit Lawsuit

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/28/2026) The Republican nominee looking to unseat Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) was dismissed from a federal lawsuit alleging he and others provided fabricated production information to food additive customers.

U.S. District Court records in California show that plaintiffs First Biotech Inc. and Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co. voluntarily dismissed John James Goldwater, of New Baltimore, from its lawsuit, but court filings do not say why.

"My former employer was involved in a trademark dispute with a vendor," Goldwater told MIRS tonight. "I was dismissed from the case after it became clear I had no involvement in the matter, as the plaintiffs acknowledged.

"Now I'm running to stop data centers and help families better afford the American dream," he added.

The dismissal was with prejudice, which means the allegations can't be brought again, according to a March filing.

The complaint, filed in April 2025, alleged that Goldwater and Newest Biotech represented that the company was an authorized distributor of Fufeng xanthan gum, which is a bio-fermentation food additive, and that their certificates contained falsified production, batch, lot and testing information.

Plaintiffs also alleged Goldwater falsely claimed to be acting for a company called Texas Fine Chemical and obtained 160 tons of industrial-grade xanthan gum from First Biotech.

In a May 2025 response to the complaint, Goldwater's attorney said his client denied the allegations, although he acknowledged he "has been involved in the distribution of xanathan gum in the U.S. manufactured by Fufeng."

Hertel won the seat by 403 votes in 2022.