The Trump administration is pursuing legal action against Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, alleging that she is obstructing access to comprehensive voter registration data.
On Thursday, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division revealed the filing of federal lawsuits against six states—California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania—due to their failure to provide statewide voter registration lists as requested. The legal action against Benson was initiated in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, accusing her of violating federal law by impeding investigations and demanding her compliance in releasing the records.
Residents of Michigan have witnessed Secretary of State Benson deriding the attempts by state legislators for examination and admonishing citizens who seek transparency since 2020, seemingly in a bid to veil her questionable voter rolls from scrutiny.
The DOJ’s statement emphasizes the significance of properly maintained voter registrations: “Clean voter rolls are the bedrock of fair and transparent elections,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state bears the responsibility to maintain accurate, accessible, and secure voter registration records. Those who fail to meet this duty will find themselves facing the Department of Justice in court.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon further remarked, “It is imperative for states to uphold the integrity of American elections by adhering to federal election laws. Clean voter rolls safeguard citizens from electoral fraud and bolster public confidence in the integrity of their electoral processes.”
In response to the DOJ lawsuit, a resolute Secretary Benson dismissed the demand for transparency, asserting that “it is crucial for every Michigander to understand what’s at stake here—the U.S. Justice Department seeks to obtain the private information of over 8 million state residents, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive personal data.” She labeled the request an “illegal and unconstitutional power grab,” boldly stating, “I informed them they cannot have it.”
One might consider informing Jocelyn Benson that the government already holds the Social Security numbers of all American citizens. The real issue lies not with registered voters in Michigan, but rather the unverified individuals and potentially fraudulent entries accumulated during her seven-year tenure in office, which the DOJ aims to investigate.
This is not the first time the integrity of Benson’s voter rolls has come under fire. On October 22, 2024, a Democrat-appointed U.S. District Judge, Jane Beckering, dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee (RNC) against Secretary of State Benson and the Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater.
The lawsuit argued that Benson and Brater, former chair of the ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center), failed to comply with the stipulations of Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates states maintain accurate voter registration records.
According to the lawsuit, in at least 53 of Michigan’s 83 counties, the number of active registered voters exceeds the number of eligible adult residents, while 23 counties reported registration levels surpassing 90% of adult citizens. Such figures, the lawsuit contends, are implausibly high.
In an astonishing ruling, the U.S. District Judge opined that the Republicans, who initiated the lawsuit in March, failed to present adequate evidence and lacked the necessary legal standing.
On Friday, a remarkable decision by a unanimous Sixth Circuit panel upheld the lower court’s dismissal of the RNC lawsuit challenging Benson’s inflated voter rolls.
Benson, who has faced numerous legal challenges since her election in 2022, has repeatedly ignored lawmakers and citizens seeking to understand the apparent intent to keep voter data confidential. Beyond her lack of transparency, she has introduced questionable regulations, such as instructing clerks to overlook signature verification on absentee ballots during the COVID lockdowns, contributing to a surge in absentee voting. Furthermore, when she was caught breaching campaign finance regulations by declaring her gubernatorial candidacy within a government facility, her response was dismissive. Ironically, her office oversees investigations into campaign finance breaches—a conflict highlighted by her apparent exemption from accountability due to the complicity of Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel.
With mere months remaining before the 2024 elections, concerns have been raised regarding a scheme by Democrats to register 1.7 million new overseas voters—dubbed UOCVA (Uniformed Officer and Civilian Voters Act) voters—raising questions about the credibility of registering millions of “voters” abroad who need not even prove residency in Michigan or U.S. citizenship. The Michigan Republican Party, represented by attorney Mike Bishop, alongside the RNC, filed a complaint against the Michigan SOS to halt the practice of allowing unverified foreign voters to register and participate in elections.
Unsurprisingly, a judge appointed by the liberal Governor Whitmer dismissed the case. The appeal, brought by the RNC, was denied predominantly on procedural grounds, rather than a thorough evaluation of the merits of the case.
Last month, Jocelyn Benson notified clerks that starting September 14, 2025, overseas “NON-military” voters would be permitted to utilize online voting—a notoriously insecure method—to cast their votes remotely in Michigan’s general elections. This new rule, which Benson implemented on September 15, seems to embrace the chaotic approach of allowing unverified participants to vote from their mobile devices.
The critical question remains: Will the DOJ finally manage to rein in Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, whose actions have seriously eroded electoral trust not only among Michiganders but also among voters across the United States watching her maneuvers unfold unchallenged over the past seven years?
