State Rep. Joseph Fox (R-Fremont) today voted for a resolution to hold Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in civil contempt for her refusal to turn over documents regarding election training materials. The Election Integrity Committee, where Fox is the vice chair, has been requesting the information for months. Last month, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed for the materials, and Benson refused to comply with the request.

“No one is above the law in the state of Michigan,” Fox said. “We’ve kindly asked Secretary Benson for months for these materials and we’ve been extremely patient. After months of waiting, we’ve had to subpoena her for the documents, and yet still, she has refused to follow the law and stick to her constitutional oath.”

House Resolution 117 holds Benson and the Department of State in civil contempt of the Michigan House of Representatives and their statutory ability to subpoena state agencies for oversight. The resolution also directs House Legal Counsel to take steps necessary, including litigation, to ensure compliance of the subpoena.

“It’s really disheartening that it had to come to this,” Fox said. “These aren’t controversial documents or personally identifiable information; it’s training material for election workers that the public has an interest in knowing more about. There’s been a lot of questions on the efficacy of Ms. Benson’s elections, and we’re finding more and more non-citizens are voting in our elections when she assured Congress they most definitely were not. Lord willing, the Truth will come out, and the Truth will win.”

House Resolution 117 passed the Michigan House on a party line vote Thursday afternoon. Benson is expected to respond later today.

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