Michigan SOS Benson Rejects House Oversight Committee Invite

MICHIGAN — Michigan's Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has rejected an invitation to testify at a hearing held by the Michigan House Oversight Committee, saying that she was concerned the hearing will undermine the integrity of elections and democracy.

In a letter sent to state House Oversight Committee Chairman Matt Hall, R-Marshall, on Tuesday, Benson said she was declining the invitation out of concern that they are “amplifying already debunked conspiracy theories and previously disproven claims of people who lack basic knowledge of election administration, and in doing so undermining the integrity of the election and wounding our democracy.

"Since this election was settled and has been found to be conducted fairly and accurately, I look forward to having a conversation with any willing lawmakers about reforms and improvements we can make going forward for future elections, with an eye towards making data-driven decisions and implementing solutions to ensure all citizens can have rightly placed faith in the results of our elections as an accurate reflection of the will of the people," Benson responded in her letter.

The validity of the Nov. 3 General Election has been called into question multiple times by the campaign of President Donald Trump, who lost in Michigan by more than 154,000 votes to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. Recently, several Republican leaders both in Michigan and in across the nation acknowledged that Biden had won the presidency.

Benson noted that Attorney General William Barr, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and local election clerks on both sides of the aisle, as well as judges and justices appointed by Republicans and Democrats, have found the election was secure and the results are accurate.

To date, no credible evidence of widespread election fraud has been discovered, according to state and federal investigators. There have been, however, irregularities discovered that both Democrats and Republicans have said need to be addressed in future elections.

Benson criticized the panel for a prior hearing, in which President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, "proceeded to spout false and baseless accusations against Michigan public servants - including more than 1,600 election clerks and tens of thousands of election workers," she said.

"He called Wayne County’s chief judge, a Republican appointee, a “hack” and suggested various individuals should be prosecuted based on zero evidence of wrongdoing," Benson said of Giuliani. "Just prior to the hearing this same attorney suggested that you and your colleagues would be threatened if you did not act as he would like and overturn the outcome of the election, despite the fact that Attorney General William Barr, the FBI and CISA have confirmed its security and accuracy.

"Indeed, the hearing was deemed such an embarrassment, lacking in merit and any form of decorum, that it was mocked on national comedy shows as a clear waste of taxpayer dollars," Benson added.

Hall responded to Benson Wednesday with a letter of his own, saying she said she would be willing to testify "when it made a good talking point for her and got her good press."

"But when the rubber met the road and it came time to answer questions about her work, she refused to take questions," he said. "Benson’s flip-flop makes it clear she would rather hide under a rock than help the people of Michigan build trust in their state’s election process going forward."