Benson Backs Moratorium After the Money Rolls In

Lansing, MI – Michigan Secretary of State and Democrat candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson has officially backed a moratorium on new data center construction in Michigan, making it a cornerstone of her campaign, but she has failed to mention that her husband has spent time lobbying for the unpopular Saline Township data center:

Previously, Benson had also said that none of her family would profit from data centers, but her husband, Ryan Friedrichs, is paid $400,000 by the same company pushing the Saline data center. In fact, Friedrichs spoke at a township meeting encouraging the local government to approve the data center, and even personally delivered the application to rezone the land for its construction.

According to an expert familiar with data center commissions, Friedrichs could make as much as $70 million as a commission on the $7 billion project.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by Jocelyn Benson's hypocrisy and lack of honesty when her track record as Secretary of State has never shown us anything else,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “How can we be expected to believe anything she says about data center policy when her family is on the payroll of a data center company?”