Michigan House Oversight Committee Targets Secretary of State with Subpoena
In a significant move, the Michigan House Oversight Committee’s Republican leader has issued a subpoena demanding that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson provide documents related to election training and management. This action follows ongoing disputes between Republican lawmakers and the Democratic Secretary of State over the provision of election materials.
The subpoena was authorized last week after complaints that Benson had consistently failed to deliver complete election-related materials. Representative Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay) expressed his frustration to Michigan Public Radio, questioning, “What is that they’re afraid to provide to us?”
Two identical subpoenas have been issued, one naming Benson and the other targeting the Michigan Department of State. Delivered electronically through an official portal, these subpoenas set a compliance deadline of 4 p.m. on May 14. The Secretary of State’s office has acknowledged receipt of these documents.
This development is the latest in a series of exchanges between House Republicans and Benson regarding the materials requested by the House Elections Committee. The Oversight Committee, possessing subpoena power, was the only panel capable of compelling compliance through such means.
The scope of the requested information is extensive, though DeBoyer emphasized the need for training materials. He stated, “If the Secretary of State won’t provide the training information, there’s no way to find out if they’re training them according to election law.”
While Benson has accused Republicans of undermining confidence in Michigan’s election integrity, GOP leaders argue that her delay in fulfilling requests contributes to such doubts. Benson insists that some materials have already been shared, but she maintains that the remaining requested information includes sensitive content that could endanger election security, necessitating careful review before release.
Angela Benander, Benson’s Chief Communications Officer, described the announcement as “an unnecessary press release about a subpoena that’s also unnecessary.” She elaborated via email to Michigan Public Radio, stating, “As we’ve communicated multiple times, we are in the process of producing the requested training materials on top of the hundreds of documents we’ve already provided to the committee. But we will not provide open access to sensitive information that could jeopardize the security of our elections, and we’re prepared to make this case in court.”
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