Michigan's Secretary of Special Interests Jocelyn Benson
Conflict of interest and controversy over election integrity and transparency?
Each Secretary of State in the United States is responsible for many vital functions in The United States Government, from advising the President on Foreign Policy to supervising the administration of U.S. immigration laws and promoting economic intercourse between the United States and other countries.
The Secretary of State also oversees and conducts free and fair Elections for the State. With controversy surrounding election security from both sides of the political aisle in 2016 and 2020, the election process is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most critical responsibility a Secretary of State is tasked with as we move toward the 2024 Election Cycle.
Holding such a position in Government requires the highest order of integrity. The Secretary of State serves the interests of all the citizens in any given state, no matter what side of the political spectrum one falls on. Therefore, the need to hear from both sides regarding an Election can not be overstated. The need for a transparent Election process can not be overstated.
We are talking about elections and integrity, two words that need to work together to fix our broken election system. To improve the lack of trust surrounding our elections, those two words, “elections and integrity,” must transform into action.
A colleague sent me an email the other day titled “KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS,” referring to a nonprofit, NewDEAL Forum, laying out the 'Democracy Playbook' to strengthen democracy, protect voting rights, and transform election administration across the nation, which Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes will co-chair as The Democracy Working Group.
NewDEAL Forum summarizes the Democracy Playbook on its website below.
“In February of 2023, the Democracy Working Group released our Democracy Playbook, which contains more than 40 specific action steps that officials should take ahead of the 2024 presidential election, highlighting the vital role state and local officials play in our elections, including where, how, and when Americans can vote. The Democracy Playbook is the culmination of nine months of meetings and conversations between elected officials and outside experts focused on maintaining free, fair, and safe elections.”
CEO Debbie Cox Bultan (who claims to lean center-left) states —
“The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol following the 2020 election still casts a long shadow over our nation, and we cannot allow such an event to happen again. People of good faith who believe in freedom and democracy – no matter their political party – must stand up against malignant forces that seek to undermine our nation. This playbook will provide state and local officials with best practices to ensure our democracy stands strong.”
I read through the Democracy Playbook (as I strongly urge you to) and found the narrative this presentation pushed heavily favors the Democratic Party.
I will not be writing about the left-leaning ideology of the Democracy Playbook.
Instead, I will focus on Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her newfound dedication to “Strengthening Confidence through Transparency.”
There are those two words again, election and integrity.
Jocelyn Benson became Michigan's Secretary of State on January 1, 2019, primarily due to support from Stephen Ross, a philanthropist most famously known as the CEO and founder of Related Companies (an international real estate company managing billions based in New York City) and former employer of Jocelyn Benson.
You may know Stephen Ross as the Owner of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium.
Jocelyn welcomed Stephen Ross to Wayne State University in 2015 while she served as Dean of the Law School. He donated $5 million to Wayne State University in 2016 after Jocelyn left her position at the Law School.
Jocelyn left Wayne State University to become the CEO of RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality), a nonprofit committed to ending racism in sports and social justice.
Stephen Ross is RISE’s Founder.
Would you be surprised to learn that Jocelyn’s husband, Ryan Friedrich, is the Vice President of The Related Companies, owned by Stephen Ross?
Would you be surprised that Ryan Friedrich is registered as a lobbyist under The Related Companies with the State of Michigan?
If you aren’t surprised yet, please properly prepare yourself.
Ryan Friedrichs registered as a lobbyist for The Related Companies on June 29th, 2022.
Twelve days later, on July 11th, 2022, The Related Companies secured $100 Million from Michigan’s 2023 budget.
As if this couldn’t possibly get any spicier, what if I told you that Ryan Friedrichs was The Chief Development Officer for the City of Detroit?
The Chief Development Officer serves as the Director of the Office of Development and Grants, which competes nationally for and supports the implementation of public and private investments that enhance the quality of life for Detroit residents.
On December 12th, 2019, The City of Detroit secured $1 billion in grant revenue since bankruptcy to support residents, businesses & neighborhoods under the leadership of Ryan Friedrichs.
Only two months later, Ryan Friedrichs stepped down from his position as The Chief Development Officer for the City of Detroit to serve as Vice President of The Related Companies under Stephen Ross.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Ryan Friedrich resigned from the City of Detroit for being at the center of a scandal involving deleting emails for “Make Your Date,” a Detroit-based nonprofit.
You can read more about Make Your Date’s email scandal here.
Friedrichs was granted immunity from criminal prosecution before giving an interview to state investigators, according to a summary of the investigation.
Quick Sequential Recap.
Jocelyn Benson marries Ryan Friedrichs in 2006.
Ryan Friedrichs became Chief Development Officer for The City of Detroit in 2015.
Jocelyn Benson welcomes Stephen Ross to Wayne State University in 2015.
Jocelyn Benson left Wayne State University to become CEO of RISE (founded by Stephen Ross) in 2016.
Stephen Ross donated $5 million to Wayne State University in 2016.
Jocelyn Benson became Michigan’s Secretary of State in January 2019.
Ryan Friedrichs appeared as the epicenter of the “Make Your Date” email scandal in July 2019.
Ryan Friedrich resigned from The City of Detroit and was hired as Vice President of The Related Companies (owned by Stephen Ross) in March 2020.
Ryan Friedrich registered as a lobbyist for The Related Companies in June 2022.
The Related Companies (Stephen Ross) secured $100 million for the 2023 budget.
Secretary of State.
Holding such a position in Government requires the highest order of integrity. A Secretary of State performs many tasks, but the need for a transparent Election process can not be overstated, especially leading up to the 2024 Elections.
Elections and integrity are two words that need to work together to fix our broken election system. To improve the lack of trust surrounding our elections, those two words, “elections and integrity,” must transform into action, transparent action.
According to The Democracy Playbook, “In order to move forward with confidence, elected leaders from secretaries of state to local election officials should prioritize transparency around the election process as well as intentional efforts to increase the security of elections without harming the ability of citizens to cast their ballots.”
Does Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson fit the bill for Election Integrity, or does she foot the bill?
You tell me.
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Authority, not only an extremely informative article, but my jaw hit the floor several times during my initial read. I re-read because I thought ‘I surely misunderstood’ parts of what I was reading and wanted to read it again slower for the second read!!! It’s utterly impossible to stay up-to-date on every single corrupt and deceit-filled individual along with work a full-time job then to throw in the normal home life chaos most of us have. Thank you for drilling down on this issue PLUS all of the others and then creating truthful information that’s backed up by facts so all of us can view it and share it. Sharing this now friend because the amount of corruption within every state of this Nation and the lack of integrity and moral compass that so many in our leadership positions hold has GOT to be shared. 🙏🙏🙏
We need more stories like this...maybe digs on Soros backed AGs and such. Keep up the good work.