Lansing, MI – Last Friday at 5 pm, caucus campaign committees had to file quarterly campaign finance reports with the State’s Bureau of Elections. But thanks to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s new campaign finance website, which cost taxpayers $9 million, the public is missing crucial information it once had, including:
- Direct links to campaign finance reports.
- Finance report summary pages.
- The sum of funds raised in a report.
- The sum of funds spent in a report.
- Donor and expenditure search functions.
The new website has also created multiple new issues for filers, increasing the likelihood of unintended errors in reports. If unaddressed, this website makes it nearly impossible for watchdogs, reporters, and most importantly the public, to provide proper oversight on Michigan lobbying and campaign activity.
“There’s nothing the public hates more than politicians who say one thing and do another, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Benson’s running for higher office on ‘making government more efficient and transparent,’ but her new website leaves taxpayers in the dark on critical information they’re entitled to,” said Zach Rudat, Advocacy Director for Michigan Freedom Fund. “Michigan’s routinely rated as one of the least transparent states in the nation because politicians in Lansing like Benson are more concerned about talking points than results. If Benson expects taxpayers to take her seriously, she may want to consider practicing what she preaches.”
Michigan is set to be the most important state in the nation for the 2026 midterms, further increasing the need to remedy the website issues as soon as possible.
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