Letter to Michigan Secretary of State Benson (July 10, 2024)

Summary

A letter dated July 10, 2024 to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson from members of the Michigan congressional delegation and the House Committee on Small Business, led by Chairman Roger Williams. The letter concerns a Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Agreement on voter registration between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Michigan Department of State. It states the Committee found that 39 out of the 52 small business outreach events scheduled in Michigan fall in counties with the highest populations of demographics targeted by the Democratic National Committee, and it argues the arrangement diverts small business resources to election purposes. The letter requests eight categories of documents and information by July 24, 2024. It is four pages and copies SBA, Office of Special Counsel and Michigan officials.

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Full text

                                               July 10, 2024

The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
Michigan Secretary of State
430 W. Allegan Street
Richard H. Austin Building – 4th Floor
Lansing, Michigan, 48918

Dear Secretary Benson:

        We write today as members of both the Michigan congressional delegation and the House
Committee on Small Business (the Committee) with great concern over the apparent and blatant
weaponization of taxpayer resources to aid and abet President Biden’s re-election campaign in
the state of Michigan. It appears the Biden Administration and your office have diverted funding
away from supporting small businesses and used it for election purposes. This is unacceptable.

         In March of this year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced both a
Memorandum of Understanding and a Memorandum of Agreement (collectively referred to as
the “MOU”) regarding voter registration with the Michigan Department of State (MDOS). The
MOU detailed the level of coordination between the two entities with the claimed goal of
boosting voter registration in the state. Specifically, the MOU details a plan to create a unique
URL for the SBA’s website that will direct visitors to the state of Michigan’s voter registration
page, obligates the SBA to provide voter registration training to all personnel conducting
activities under the MOU, and states that the SBA may invite MDOS to various in-person events
to allow MDOS to register attendees to vote.1

        Perhaps even more egregious, the investigation conducted by the Committee found that
39 out of the 52 small business outreach events currently scheduled in Michigan from January
through November 2024 coincidently take place in counties with the highest populations of
demographics targeted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Additionally, 100 percent
of the visits to Michigan from the SBA Administrator and Deputy Administrator have taken place
in counties with the highest populations of DNC target demographics. While the SBA claims no
actual voter registration efforts have occurred, it is curious that the SBA Administrator, appointed
to help all small businesses thrive, has concentrated her efforts in areas key to the Biden
campaign securing re-election.


1
 Memorandum of Agreement between the state of Michigan and the U.S. Small Bus. Admin. (Mar. 18, 2024)
available at https://smallbusiness.house.gov/uploadedfiles/redacted_-_03_moa_nvra_designated_federal_agency_-
_final_version.pdf.
The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
July 10, 2024
Page 2 of 4

        Furthermore, on April 17th, 2024, a special advisor to Administrator Guzman’s Chief of
Staff was caught on camera saying, “anytime we go, we try to visit with a member of Congress if
they’re a Democrat … because then we can help them get re-elected as well … the White House
was like, yes, go. … Don’t invite the other senator because he’s a Republican. And don’t invite
the two members of Congress because they’re Republicans.”2 This individual also went on to
claim that Administrator Guzman’s official travel is purposefully targeted to “indirectly
campaign for Joe Biden.”3

        On President Biden’s first day in office, Jen Psaki, then the White House Press Secretary,
stated, “his objective and his commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to
government—to share the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”4 Unfortunately for those Americans
who seek truth and transparency from their government, the Biden Administration has
stonewalled Congress, which forced the Committee to issue rare subpoenas to two aides of the
SBA.

        Secretary Benson, you have also stated numerous times that “transparency in government
is one of my top priorities.”5 We write to you today to give you the opportunity to hold true to
your commitment to transparency for the American people. We therefore request the following
documents and information as soon as possible but no later than July 24, 2024:

    1. All documents and communications between and among MDOS officials and SBA
       officials, including contractors, relating to voter registration in Michigan, including but
       not limited to Executive Order 14019 and the MOU.

    2. The MOU states, “each party will bear its own expenses in connection with the
       preparation, negotiation, and execution of the MOU.” Provide all documents related to
       expenses incurred related to the MOU including but not limited to invoices, time sheets,
       and the accounts from which these expenses were paid.

    3. The MOU states that it replaces and supersedes all prior agreements between the two
       parties relating to the subject matter. Provide all prior agreements between the SBA and
       MDOS.

    4. Any document relied upon when developing the terms of the MOU with the SBA.

    5. The name of the MDOS official designated as the point person to execute and/or
       implement the MOU.


2
  James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII), X (formerly Twitter) (Apr. 17, 2024, 3:57 PM)
https://x.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1780687148527579215.
3
  Id. The special advisor has since said these assertions he made were false.
4
  Press Briefing by Secretary Jen Psaki, January 20, 2021, THE WHITE HOUSE (Jan. 20, 2021)
5
  News Release, Michigan Dept. of State, Secretary Benson Launches New Online Government Transparency Tool
During Sunshine Week (Mar. 14, 2024); See also News Release, Michigan Dept. of State, Secretary Benson
Launches New Online FOIA Tool That Improves Government Transparency and Efficiency (Dec. 12, 2023).
The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
July 10, 2024
Page 3 of 4

   6. Any policy and procedure documents drafted for the execution and/or implementation of
      the MOU.

   7. Evidence sufficient to show training that has taken place or will take place on the
      execution and/or implementation of the MOU.

   8. Provide a list of events which have taken place in the districts of Republican members of
      Congress and indicate whether Senators’ Peters and Stabenow were invited.

           a. If either of the two Senators were invited but a Republican member of Congress
              was not, please detail the reasoning behind the lack of invitation.

        The SBA’s job is to help our nation’s small businesses. Sadly, it appears the Biden
Administration has abused the trust of the American taxpayer, betrayed the mission of the SBA,
and weaponized the powers and resources of the federal government to serve his own re-election
interests. We hope that by fulfilling your pledge of transparency, you can begin to rectify the
broken trust in government both of your agencies are responsible for. The Committee on Small
Business has broad authority to investigate “problems of all types of small business” under
House Rule X. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this inquiry.

                                           Sincerely,



__________________________                          __________________________
Roger Williams                                      Lisa McClain
Chairman                                            Member of Congress
House Committee on Small Business




_______________________                                 __________________________
Jack Bergman                                            Tim Walberg
Member of Congress                                      Member of Congress
The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
July 10, 2024
Page 4 of 4




________________________                        __________________________
Bill Huizenga                                   John Moolenaar
Member of Congress                              Member of Congress




________________________
John James
Member of Congress


CC:   The Honorable Isabel Guzman, Administrator, Small Business Administration
      The Honorable Therese R. Meers, General Counsel, Small Business Administration
      The Honorable Hampton Dellinger, Special Counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel
      The Honorable Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General, U.S. Small Business
      Administration
      The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer, Governor, State of Michigan
      Jonathan Brater, Director of Elections, Michigan Department of State
      The Honorable Nydia Velázquez, Ranking Member, House Committee on Small Business


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