In early May 2011, the Committee to Recall Rick Snyder took aim at Bolger in an attempt to recall him from office. It did not go to a vote. On May 10, 2011, Autumn Smith submitted language to the Calhoun County Clerk citing Bolger's support for cutting school funding and legislation easing restrictions on voiding public employee contracts. The Election Commission rejected the petition on May 25, saying the language was unclear and relied too much on opinion. Smith turned in six additional language submissions in June, one of which was to have been considered at a hearing on June 24. The day before it was to occur, Bolger's lawyers were granted a Temporary Restraining Order and Injunction against the election commission, effectively stopping the hearing. On August 30, 2011, Smith announced she was frustrated by the legal process and was ending her recall efforts against Bolger. Just days later, Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Conrad Sindt rejected Bolger's arguments, allowing the recall process to continue. Smith said she would continue to help if someone else led the campaign, but that she no longer had the time or resources to lead it herself.

A press release from Kent County Prosecuting Attorney William Forsyth said that Bolger and incumbent Roy Schmidt were involved in a plan to tilt the 2012 election in Schmidt's favor. Schmidt had defected to the Republican Party just before the primary, and made an arrangement with Bolger to pay 22-year-old Matt Mojzak to run as a Democrat in the election, but not actually conduct a real campaign. On this move, Forsyth claimed, "it is clear that the only logical reason for his [Mojak's] recruitment was to prevent the Democratic Party from mounting a viable write-in candidacy." Forsyth deemed that no laws were broken, stating, "Although this scheme by Rep. Schmidt and Speaker Bolger was clearly designed to undermine the election and to perpetrate a ‘fraud’ on the electorate, it was nonetheless legal...While Mr. Mojak ill-advisedly agreed to participate in this misadventure, it is clear that he was duped into doing so and is the least culpable of anyone involved in this fiasco.” Bolger told mlive.com, "I encouraged a Democrat to be recruited, but the bottom line is that I have always encouraged the law to be followed. This is political gamesmanship and we lost sight that we ought to be focused on the people and bringing them results." Bolger's opponent, Bill Farmer, said of the incident, "Speaker Bolger knowingly attempted to deceive the voters by making shady deals behind the scenes with Roy Schmidt. This was a blatantly political move to benefit the Republican Party. This isn’t how our democracy was meant to work." On July 18, 2012, Democrats in the legislature called on Bolger to step down from the position of Speaker. In calling for a resignation, Senator Gretchen Whitmer said, "Regardless of whether charges are ultimately filed, we know that one of Michigan’s highest ranking leaders engaged in unethical and fraudulent behavior, putting personal politics above the good of Michigan... [Bolger and Schmidt] knew what they were doing. They knew it was wrong... And even now that it’s become public, they still refuse to accept the consequences."