The election is over. The results are in, and here in Michigan, they’re not going to change.
What should, though, is the way Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson handles worries, accusations, claims and sworn affidavits about mistakes, fraud and malfeasance during the vote counting process.
We know any investigation she launches won’t overturn the results of the election. Frankly, that’s the kind of partisan cover she could use to perform her basic constitutional duty – ensuring fair and accurate elections.
Freedom Fund’s own Greg McNeilly writes in the Detroit News:
The Secretary of State should seriously and publicly dig into credible allegations of fraud and alleged mistakes. Numerous affidavits and witness statements deserve an answer and a public one. She’d do well to address less severe claims and charges, and to answer them carefully and thoroughly.
Benson has the professional responsibility to combat voters’ distrust of the process and to protect their franchise. To do anything less threatens to suppress future voter participation as her inactions threaten a critical democratic institution.
Where mistakes were made, let’s identify and fix them.
Where fraud was committed – on however small a scale – let’s hold miscreants criminally accountable.
Where allegations were unfounded, spun out of misunderstanding, or were even malicious, let’s unpack and explain them publicly and deliberately to set the record unmistakably straight.
Benson has thus far failed to meet the opportunity.
There’s still time for transparency. Heaven knows there are still serious irregularities and accusations to investigate and resolve.
What she does next will tell everyone whether or not Benson is serious about her job – or only serious about partisan posturing.
Sincerely,
Tony Daunt
Executive Director
Michigan Freedom Fund
