October 14, 2021
Michigan Rising Action Statement on Benson-Whitmer Coverup Lawsuit Ruling by Michigan Court of Claims
Lansing, MI – October 14, 2021 – Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray has ruled in favor of Michigan Rising Action in a suit brought against the Office of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Benson and her office must now release records revealing how, or if, they punished a group supported by Gretchen Whitmer that committed campaign finance violations during the 2018 election cycle. The Detroit News reports:
“Build a Better Michigan’s ads were intended to be ‘issue advocacy,’ meaning they weren’t supposed to endorse the Democrat’s election and were meant to fall outside of state campaign finance reporting requirements. But some of the ads violated the law by specifically identifying Whitmer as a ‘candidate for governor,’ the Secretary of State’s office found, meaning they should have been reported as campaign finance expenditures.”
The following statement can be attributed to Eric Ventimiglia, Executive Director for Michigan Rising Action:
“The ruling by Judge Murray is a win for government transparency in the state of Michigan. Jocelyn Benson clearly has a legal obligation to the people she represents to release all documents relating to Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign finance scandal in 2018. The Freedom of Information Act should not be used by elected officials to hide records, it should be used to fulfill its purpose of shining a light on the truth.”