The regulatory comment period is not intended to be a "vote", with decisions being made based on the tally. It is supposed to be a chance at input/argument, to bring to the attention of the regulators facts or arguments they may not have considered. How many people raise a particular fact or argument should be irrelevant.
In other words, the fraud should not have affected the decision in the least.
“In other words, the fraud should not have affected the decision in the least.”
Not exactly. When the bureaucrats want to impose something, it lets them pretend there was a huge groundswell of opinion for or against it. This fraud matters.