ICYMI: The Detroit News Sets the Record Straight on Benson’s Data Center Connections

Lansing, MI – Today, Kaitlyn Buss of The Detroit News penned an op-ed calling out Michigan Secretary of State and Democrat candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson’s attempt to spin her way out of her connection to data centers. Benson has repeatedly said that her family does not profit from data centers, but, as Buss points out, that is not true:

“Jocelyn Benson is trying to walk through her Democratic gubernatorial campaign unscathed by her family’s connection to the controversial Saline Township data center.

Her problem is that the public record keeps getting in the way.”

Buss goes on to write that the connection between Benson’s husband and the Saline data center project is not tenuous:

“Except there's a vast difference between her husband Ryan Friedrichs "making no money" and actually receiving $370,000 in compensation and bonuses in 2025 working for Related Companies, whose affiliate Related Digital is developing the Saline Township data center.

Friedrichs didn’t merely happen to work somewhere within a sprawling company that also happened to own a data center. He worked specifically on the Saline project. In 2025, Friedrichs advocated publicly for it, appeared on behalf of Related at local government meetings and personally delivered the application seeking to rezone 575 acres for the development.”

You can read the full piece here.

“Jocelyn Benson can’t spin her way out of this one,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “Her husband hand-delivered the data center application, there is video of him speaking in favor of it at a township meeting, and he made a boatload of money with the company developing it. She’s just choosing to lie about it.”