State Representative Rachelle Smit, a Republican from Martin, issued a statement following the Michigan House’s decision to hold Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Department of State in contempt. The contempt charge arises from an alleged violation of a subpoena for election training materials.
Rep. Smit expressed frustration over what she described as a seven-month effort to engage with Secretary Benson regarding the training process for clerks and their staff. “For seven months, we’ve given Secretary Benson every opportunity to sit down with us and discuss the training process for clerks and their staffs,” Smit stated. She emphasized her previous experience as a clerk and argued that accessing such information should not be controversial.
Smit criticized changes in election law over the past two years, suggesting that updates to training materials were necessary but had been deemed unlawful by Michigan courts on several occasions. She asserted that the Legislature has a constitutional duty to oversee the Secretary of State’s conduct in elections, stating: “Secretary Benson has a proven record of failure, and the public deserves to check her work.”
The representative expressed disappointment at having to hold an elected official in contempt, noting it was not something to celebrate. “It’s a disappointing day when our elected leaders do not live up to the standard expected of them,” she said.
In response to these actions, Smit claimed that Secretary Benson held a closed-door press conference for damage control and accused lawmakers requesting documents of being cruel. Addressing this accusation, Smit remarked: “I’m not sure what’s cruel about asking for these documents.”
