LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Ignoring the law won’t cut it anymore in the Michigan GOP-controlled House.
House sues SOS Benson.
On Thursday, State Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin) said there’s now a pending lawsuit against Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The lawsuit filed by the Michigan House against Benson asks the court to validate the subpoena and rule that the House properly issued it more than six weeks ago. Benson has claimed the election training materials she provided to local clerks sought by the House Oversight Committee are available publicly online, and that she will not violate the privacy of anything that could be used to impersonate an election official.
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“Secretary Benson has proven she is unwilling to comply with our subpoena and Michigan law,” said Smit. “She’s skirted the rules and done whatever she could to avoid public scrutiny. It’s become overwhelmingly clear that she will never release the training materials we’re looking for without direction from a court.”
Smit then alluded to Benson’s call for a mediator, saying, “Secretary Benson herself said she would see us in court; she’s going to get her chance real soon.”
Benson responds.
Cheri Hardmon, Michigan Department of State Spokesperson responded to the lawsuit. “Let’s be clear – the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee is demanding information that could be used to interrupt the chain of custody of ballots, tamper with election equipment or impersonate a clerk on Election Day,” Hardmon said.
She added, “We are glad they have finally acted accordingly and look forward to a court of law resolving this dispute. To date, the Michigan Department of State has produced more than 3,300 pages of materials and posted them on our website for all to see.”
Benson’s track record.
Things continue to go from bad to worse for the 2026 gubernatorial candidate. The lawsuit follows a contempt citation from the Michigan House moving to hold Benson in contempt for illegally defying the subpoena. Earlier this week, Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton) introduced articles of impeachment against Benson. She called the measure “a clown show.”
In addition, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel found Benson in violation of campaign finance law for announcing her gubernatorial run in the Richard H. Austin building in January.
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The Michigan Court of Claims oversees disputes for the State of Michigan and its agencies.
