Michigan House sues SOS Jocelyn Benson over access to election training materials
The Republican-controlled Michigan House has filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Jocelyn over access to election training materials used to train clerks and staff on the state's elections.
The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in the state Court of Claims after lawmakers said Benson failed to comply with a subpoena issued by GOP Rep. Jay DeBoyer.
The House requests the court acknowledge that it submitted a valid subpoena that Benson must comply with and issue an injunction preventing her or the Department of State from modifying records.
"Our commitment to bring accountability to Lansing is not just lip service," DeBoyer (R-Clay Township) said in a news release. "After going years without legislative oversight, Benson has clearly grown comfortable operating independent of the other, co-equal branches of government. For months, we have tried to get her cooperation through requests, then accommodating offers, and then legal demands. Her continued defiance now brings us to the courtroom, where we will continue to diligently work to deliver government transparency for the people of Michigan."
The Michigan Department of State says it has provided more than 3,300 pages of materials. However, it says the documents requested by lawmakers are "sensitive election information that, in the wrong hands, would compromise the security of our election machines, ballots and officials."
The department says Benson asked lawmakers to allow a court to review the request.
"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," the department said in a statement. "While we are committed to transparency, we will never compromise our duty to ensure Michigan's elections are safe and secure. We look forward to working with a judge to come to a resolution that will resolve this dispute."
According to the lawsuit, the House claims that Benson and the Department of State violated the subpoena by deliberately refusing the request.
Benson argued that releasing the confidential documents to the House Oversight Committee would risk sharing them with the public. However, lawmakers disputed that claim in the lawsuit, saying the subpoena is "supported by a valid legislative purpose" and Benson's reasons for not providing the documents are meritless.
"Because elections are quickly approaching (with the next election day occurring on November 4, 2025, and primaries occurring even earlier on August 5, 2025) and the term of the 103rd Legislature is limited in duration (ending on January 1, 2027), every day Defendants obstruct access to the subpoenaed election training materials, Defendants undermine the ability of the House to fulfill its constitutional duty to regulate and safeguard the purity of elections," read the lawsuit.
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