Michigan Secretary of State Faces Scrutiny Over Portal Issues
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is slated to address a legislative committee on Tuesday regarding ongoing issues with the state’s new financial disclosure portal. This comes after the GOP-led House Oversight Committee insisted on her personal testimony following a previous appearance by her chief of staff.
The committee’s concerns revolve around a costly new system designed to manage public financial disclosure reports, which has been plagued by malfunctions since its launch. Benson assured the public during a media briefing that her office is tirelessly working to rectify these issues before the upcoming filing deadline.
“And we are dedicated and committed to getting this right and I am personally ensuring that we can do this consistently with our team over the months ahead,” Benson stated.
The initiative for the portal stems from Michigan’s compliance with a voter-endorsed constitutional amendment focused on increasing transparency. Benson highlighted that the challenges faced have provided valuable lessons and affirmed her commitment to creating a more efficient system.
“What we’ve established more than anything is not just a path to a workable, transparent, cost-efficient system for everyone,” she explained, “but also a process for continuing to improve it in the months and years ahead.”
As Benson campaigns for the Democratic nomination for governor, her focus on technical proficiency and transparency is under the spotlight. The Republican-led panel is expected to rigorously question her, reflecting the bipartisan frustration over the portal’s troubled debut.
In addition to these portal challenges, tensions between Benson and the committee have been heightened over election materials, with Republicans pressing for documents they have subpoenaed. Benson has insisted that her office is carefully reviewing materials to prevent any potential compromise of election security.
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