LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been accused of being partisan in the run-up to this year’s elections and has even admitted collaborating with other secretaries of states to protect democracy from former President Trump and his supporters.

In a press release at the end of last week, Secretary Benson goes further down the partisan road by making statements about former president Trump and the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.

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Secretary Benson says in her statement about her political opponents, “When former President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and others call for states to do things we are already doing or ban things that are already banned they aren’t actually supporting election integrity.”

The secretary is referencing comments that she says Trump and Johnson have made about votes being cast by non-citizens in the elections but doesn’t provide what the comments were.

Secretary Benson says Trump is misleading voters.

Secretary Benson goes on to say, “They are intentionally misleading American voters. Why? Because they want to scare us. They want to diminish citizens’ confidence in valid election results so that they can try to block those valid election results if they don’t like them.”

She continues, “But here’s the truth: Every professional election official across the country is working every day to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, ensure only those legally registered and eligible are casting ballots, and protecting the election process from nefarious interference from bad actors – be they foreign or domestic. Our goal is to, transparently and honestly, make sure every citizen has rightly placed faith in their voice, their vote, and in democracy.”

Secretary of State wants voters to get their information from “trusted” sources.

Secretary Benson concludes her statement by saying, “So, in the months ahead, I encourage everyone to seek out trusted information from election officials and professional administrators who are actually committed (to) truth and integrity. Help us debunk misinformation wherever it comes from, including when it comes from a former President or current Congressional Speaker of the House. Because that’s how we actually protect the integrity of our elections. Standing together, rejecting the scare tactics, and ensuring every valid vote is counted.”

Fighting against possible election disruptions, supports training supported by left-wing progressive organization.

Secretary Benson also appears to be proactively fighting against possible attacks on the election itself. She is part of an effort to train election workers to combat possible election disruption scenarios by a group called Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, which lists the Brennan Center for Justice as one of their supporters.

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The Brennan Center for Justice is a progressive nonprofit law and public policy institute that was named after progressive Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.

The Brennan Center’s website showcases various court cases challenging voter ID requirements, promoting the adoption of mail-in voting, and addressing the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts.

Who is on the Voter Confidence Council and what are they doing?

Additionally, the Midland Daily News and other media outlets have reported that Secretary Benson has formed something called a “Voter Confidence Council,” for the state and in 10 different communities “composed of religious and community leaders who can educate voters and combat disinformation.”

Secretary Benson says about the current situation, “Everyone should be an ambassador for truth at this moment.”

A social media post on X from Secretary Benson shows a photo of council members she met with on January 25th where she said, “I was thrilled to kick off today by convening our Voter Confidence Council with leaders from across the state to help inform all voters of their voting rights! These trusted voices are made up of faith leaders, sports leaders, labor leaders, business leaders, education leaders, and other community leaders that will help ensure misinformation gets debunked and factual election information is shared out. Thank you to everyone that participated today!”

Secretary of State needs to release details about council.

However, details regarding the council are absent from the website and no press release concerning the group’s establishment can be found. Additionally, requests for further information about the group, including its members, have gone unanswered by the Secretary’s office.

During Sunshine Week in March, Secretary Benson said that transparency in government is one of her top priorities and that she wants Michigan’s government more accountable to the people they serve but that doesn’t seem to be the case regarding the council that Secretary Benson formed, raising concerns about its operations.

Because transparency is a cornerstone of the democracy that Secretary Benson professes to fight for, it is imperative that the Secretary’s office provides comprehensive information about the council in order to promote public confidence in the electoral system and confirm that the council isn’t a political arm of the Democratic party.