Ex-DOJ official: Michigan interview shows Jack Smith targeting pro-Trump “broad national conspiracy”

Prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team interviewed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for “several hours” in March as part of the ongoing federal investigation into efforts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election, Benson told CNN Wednesday.

“[The interview] really underscored, I think, the depth through which the federal prosecutors are looking into everything and the seriousness with which they’re taking what occurred and the quest for justice to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Benson told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Wednesday evening.

Though Benson did not disclose specific details about the interview — including whether she was asked about former President Donald Trump or if Smith was present — she did reveal that prosecutors focused on, among other subjects, “the impact of the misinformation on [election workers’] lives and the threats that emerged from that from various sources.”

“Myself and the election officials who have – at request or simply because we have a story tell – have been speaking to authorities, I think it’s really a reflection of our desire to ensure that the law is followed, and where there’s evidence of wrongdoing, there’s justice that is served,” Benson said.

She added that she is “willing to speak with anyone,” including the grand jury, “about what we endured.”

“If and when we are requested, we’ll be a part of any proceedings that require my testimony,” Benson said, adding that “it’s important for the American public to know that what occurred in 2020 was really detrimental to who we are as Americans.”

Benson’s interview with federal prosecutors is the third recent meeting between Smith’s team and officials in key battleground states that Trump and his allies targeted in efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election reported in recent weeks. CNN reported that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger met with prosecutors last month in connection to the probe, and former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers told Collins last week that he was interviewed by investigators seeking information relevant to the federal inquiry a few months ago.

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The revelation also indicates the special counsel’s meticulousness in building up the case regarding the former President and his allies. CNN legal analyst Elliott Williams, a former deputy assistant attorney general, argued on Thursday’s edition of “CNN This Morning” that Benson’s recent meeting is evidence of the depth of Smith’s investigation.

“They have spoken to people in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and now Michigan,” said Williams. “What I am seeing is a pretty broad national conspiracy touching on any aspect of election meddling or election interference. They could be building one massive case, the mother of all election conspiracy cases, that could be charged in any one jurisdiction bringing in evidence of all the others… it’s pretty vast!”

Olivia Troye, a former national security advisor for former Vice President Mike Pence, said during the appearance that the round of latest interviews appears to signal that Smith is nearing the end of his investigation and that charging decisions will be made soon.

“I think they’re getting close to wrapping it up, hopefully,” she said. “I think they need to move forward. I think they’re now talking to people who are really there at the front lines of it from 2020, being bullied and intimidated by these individuals.”

Benson’s interview occurred after her office complied with a government subpoena late last year, providing an array of documents including communication between Michigan officials, former Trump attorneys and individuals working for his campaign to Smith’s office. Included in the materials was an email from a local Michigan elections official reporting a voicemail they received from someone who identified as a lawyer for Trump’s former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. 

“While the City Clerk of Rochester Hills, Michigan, I received voicemails in December 2020 specifically requesting access to the election equipment,” the email read.