>> REPUBLICAN SUPPORTERS OF
DONALD TRUMP'S ELECTION LIES
ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE TO TAKE
CONTROL OF COUNTING VOTES IN
ELECTIONS.
ONE OF THOSE CANDIDATES'S TINA
PETERS.
SHE'S A COUNTY CLERK IN
COLORADO, WHO'S RUNNING TO BE
THAT STATES SECRETARY OF STATE.
SHE IS, QUOTE, UNDER INDICTMENT
RELATED TO ALLEGATIONS THAT SHE
TAMPERED WITH ELECTIONS
EQUIPMENT, AND A JUDGE HAS
BARRED HER FROM OVERSEEING THIS
YEAR'S ELECTIONS.
ACCORDING TO STATES UNITED
ACTION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT
TRACKS CANDIDATES WHO BACKED
DONALD TRUMP'S ELECTION LIES,
AT LEAST 23 ELECTION DENIERS
ARE RUNNING FOR SECRETARY OF
STATE IN 17 STATES.
INCLUDING IN MICHIGAN, A STATE
THAT TRUMP LOST BY 154,188
VOTES, THE TRUMP ENDORSED
ELECTION DENIER, CHRISTINA
KARAMO, IS RUNNING AGAINST OUR
NEXT GUEST, MICHIGAN SECRETARY
OF STATE, JOCELYN BENSON.
KRISTINA KARAMO CLAIMED THAT
SHE PERSONALLY WITNESSED
ELECTION FRAUD BUT AS A POLL
WORKER IN THE DETROIT NEWS IS
NOW REPORTING THAT MICHIGAN
ATTORNEY GENERAL, DANA NESSEL,
EXPECTS CRIMINAL CHARGES TO
RESULT FROM HER OFFICE'S
INVESTIGATION INTO THE PUSH TO
OVERTURN THE 2020 ELECTION IN
MICHIGAN.
JOINING US NOW IS MICHIGAN
SECRETARY OF STATE, JOCELYN
BENSON BUT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
US TONIGHT.
IT IS SUCH A STRANGE TURN OF
HISTORY IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT
SUDDENLY, THE CAMPAIGNS FOR
SECRETARY OF STATE BUT,
STATEWIDE, HAVE BECOME AMONG
THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE
COUNTRY.
AND I KNOW YOU REALIZE THAT
BEFORE THIS ERA, YOUR OFFICE,
GETTING PEOPLE TO NAME THEIR
SECRETARY OF STATE WITHIN THEIR
STATE WAS KIND OF A TRICK
QUESTION.
AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE COULD
ANSWER THAT, BUT IT'S NEVER
BEEN MORE IMPORTANT NOW.
>> IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT.
AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME,
LAWRENCE.
I WROTE A BOOK ON THIS OFFICE
BACK IN 2008, ABOUT HOW
SECRETARIES OF STATE SERVICE
PARTIES INTO THE DEMOCRATIC
PROCESS.
AND VOTERS HAVE EVERYWHERE, AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE TO ELECT
SECRETARIES OF STATE FROM
EITHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM, WHO WILL DO THEIR
JOBS WITH THE INTEGRITY, FROM A
NONPARTISAN STANDPOINT, AND
EXACTLY WHY DEMOCRACY PREVAILED
IN 2020, IT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD
SECRETARIES OF STATE, DEMOCRATS,
INDEPENDENTS, REPUBLICANS
COMMITTED TO DOING THEIR JOBS
PROFESSIONALLY.
AND NOW, THE FACT THAT SO MANY
OF US ARE BEING THREATENED WITH
REPLACEMENT BY THE EXACT
OPPOSITE INDIVIDUALS WHO PUT
PARTY FIRST, OVER PROTECTING
OUR DEMOCRACY.
IT IS TRULY AN ALARM FIRE FOR
THE FUTURE OF OUR ELECTIONS AND
DEMOCRACY.
>> I FEEL AWKWARD ABOUT THIS
NEXT QUESTION, BECAUSE I WANT
TO KNOW, BUT I'M NOT SURE I
WATCH THIS ON THE TV, SO THAT
YOUR OPPONENT CAN LEARN.
BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHETHER
MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE CAN
DO TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF AN
ELECTION?
>> WELL, THERE'S REALLY THREE
SPECIFIC PATHS, ALL OF WHICH
CAN BE PURSUED AT THE SAME
TIME.
FIRST, INTERFERE WITH A BLOCK,
THE CERTIFICATION OF VALID
ELECTION RESULTS AT THE STATE
OR LOCAL LEVEL.
AND THERE'S VARIOUS WAYS THAT
THIS CAN HAPPEN.
BUT SECONDLY, THE SECRETARY OF
STATE, IF WANTING TO USE THIS
OFFICE TO HURT DEMOCRACY, COULD
ISSUE DECISIONS OR DECLARATIONS,
LEADING UP TO OR ON ELECTION
DAY ITSELF.
THEY COULD CAUSE A GREAT DEAL
OF CHAOS AND CONFUSION FOR MORE
THAN 1500 CLERKS IN THE STATE,