LANSING, Mich. (WXMI) — When Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced her gubernatorial bid, she did so inside her office in Lansing.
That was a violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
The AG's Office completed their review on Thursday.
The department says they received several complaints about her decision to use the Richard H. Austin Building to hold a press conference to announce her candidacy on Jan. 22.
The Secretary of State's Office is typically in charge of handling MCFA violations, but in this case, the investigation was turned over to the AG's Office.
MCFA violations can carry a civil penalty of up to $1,000 and some, or all, of the expenses incurred by the Michigan Department of State and the alleged violator as a direct result of the filing of the complaint.
Under the statute, the AG's Office says they have no authority to impose any civil or criminal penalties against her, saying it would be the responsibility of the Legislature to determine whether to amend the Act's enforcement authority.
You can read the full letter from the AG's Office here.
