Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who was dubbed the state’s “most partisan” SOS by her Republican predecessor in the position, Sen. Ruth Johnson, is dodging and icing out media outlets that don’t subscribe to her progressive agenda.

Benson may also be the state’s least transparent public figure, despite previously claiming, “transparency is our friend.”

Benson is currently engaged in a series of “Purpose Driven Community Conversations” in which the discussions are decidedly one-sided, featuring state and local Democratic officeholders, as well as party functionaries. The SOS’s staff has refused to relinquish a schedule of the events to the press, and, on Tuesday night, allegedly indicated that media will be banned from future PDCC events.

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The previous evening, Benson’s staff requested to use photos taken by The Midwesterner. The request was not granted.

Nowhere was it stated explicitly or otherwise that the events, sponsored by Benson’s Political Action Committee, would be closed to the public or the press.

But, shortly after an X post by a Detroit News reporter at Tuesday night’s event in Kalamazoo bringing attention to our unedited livestream, The Midwesterner was told future events would be closed to members of the press.

“A member of Jocelyn Benson’s PAC tells me they may prohibit press from attending future community conversation events with local lawmakers ‘to make everyone feel safe,'” journalist Sam Robinson posted on X. “I asked for an email to reach out ahead of the next event and they refused to provide one.”

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The Midwesterner also sought Benson’s event calendar with no success, and is among the media outlets that had been attending previous events and livestreaming the proceedings. The Midwesterner has published articles critical of Benson in the past, including references to her past tenure with the disgraced Southern Poverty Law Center.

Benson announced last week her plan to conduct the events in several of Michigan’s mostly Blue urban areas, including Ann Arbor, Lansing, Traverse City, and Detroit.

An event scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed until January 2025, and has been restricted to RSVP attendance only.

“It’s so important that we show up for each other, meet people where they are, and listen,” Benson posted on X last week. “And one of my takeaways from the 2024 election is how many Michiganders — from Houghton to Hillsdale to Grand Rapids to Detroit — want their voices heard. I’ve seen this first hand in the weeks since November 5, in conversations I’ve had in grocery stores and our branch offices, and in meetings with residents throughout the state. So for the next month, I’m going on the road, hosting meetings with local leaders all across our state, to listen, learn, and hear more about what we all can do better.”

As noted previously in The Midwesterner, Benson also shut down comments on her X account last month amid a deluge of criticism about how she handled illegal voting in the 2024 election.