{"id":1399772,"date":"2022-03-25T07:32:18","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T11:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1399772"},"modified":"2022-03-25T07:34:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T11:34:16","slug":"exclusive-zuckerberg-funded-nonprofit-helped-shift-michigans-2020-voting-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-zuckerberg-funded-nonprofit-helped-shift-michigans-2020-voting-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Zuckerberg-Funded Nonprofit Helped Shift Michigan\u2019s 2020 Voting Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-zuckerberg-funded-nonprofit-helped-shift-michigans-2020-voting-rules%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1399772&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A nonprofit connected to Mark Zuckerberg-funded groups worked with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to influence state elections ahead of 2020. The changes include getting the state to alter how it used absentee ballots without an act of the state legislature.<\/p>\n<p>Documents exclusively obtained by The Federalist through an open records request show National Vote at Home Institute CEO Amber McReynolds working with Benson to change Michigan elections policy. NVAHI shares leadership ties with the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a group that shuttled money from Zuckerberg to government election agencies ahead of the 2020 election, as The Federalist previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/01\/26\/zuckbucks-connected-private-organization-taught-election-officials-to-control-the-narrative-about-mail-in-voting\/\">reported<\/a>. In several instances, NVAHI and CTCL worked together to influence the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>The documents also show that the private organization funded by Facebook tycoon Zuckerberg exists to push states to adopt mass mail-in balloting of the kind that made chaos of the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>Mail-in ballots are proven to be significantly more susceptible to fraud, as a bipartisan federal election integrity commission chaired by former President Jimmy Carter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/heed-jimmy-carter-on-the-danger-of-mail-in-voting-11586557667\">concluded <\/a>in 2005. That\u2019s because mail-in ballots provide more opportunities to influence, obtain, and traffic in ballots.<\/p>\n<p>In one recent example, during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/heed-jimmy-carter-on-the-danger-of-mail-in-voting-11586557667\">2017 city council election<\/a> in Dallas, Texas, investigators found one person had fraudulently signed 700 mail-in ballots\u2014more than the total vote difference between competing candidates at the time. During the 2020 election in Wisconsin, officials took part in ballot trafficking and used drop-boxes for mail-in ballots, which a judge <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/01\/17\/wisconsin-judge-bans-ballot-drop-boxes-says-election-officials-broke-the-law\/\">later ruled<\/a> violated state law.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"private-groups-telling-public-employees-what-to-do\">Private Groups Telling Public Employees What To Do<\/h2>\n<p>In Michigan, this highly partisan organization directly affected voting rules, the new documents show. In the emails, McReynolds suggested that Benson use administrative rulemaking to implement a permanent absentee voting option in the state. Administrative rulemaking means making regulations based on an interpretation of the law, often yielding regulations that differ from the law\u2019s original intent and sometimes its explicit text.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was thinking that you may have rule-making authority,\u201d McReynolds wrote in an email on Feb. 5, 2019. \u201cThe language below indicates that voters have a right to vote without giving a reason, which to me has left open the possibility of permanent or election specific absentee requests. To me, this means you do not likely need a legislative change.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn8-723x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269603\" width=\"-42\" height=\"-60\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn8-723x1024-1.jpg 723w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn8-212x300-1.jpg 212w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn8-768x1088-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn8.jpg 972w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThanks Amber,\u201d Benson replied, \u201cLooping in Jonathan Brater and Mike Brady from our legal and policy team to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brater served as Benson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jonathan-brater-a3513116\/\">legal policy director<\/a> in 2019, and Brady began working as her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michael-brady-99999381\/\">chief legal director<\/a> in February 2019, according to LinkedIn. Benson named Brater <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/sos\/0,4670,7-127-1640_9150-513201--m_2017_1,00.html\">director of elections<\/a> in November 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Benson spokesman Jake Rollow said Benson\u2019s actions conformed to state law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichigan\u2019s voters enshrined the right to vote absentee in our state constitution in 2018, and upon being sworn in to office Secretary Benson went to work implementing the will of the voters,\u201d Rollow said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"private-zuckerberg-connected-group-affects-election-policy\">Private, Zuckerberg-Connected Group Affects Election Policy<\/h2>\n<p>The National Vote At Home Institute focused its 2020 work in Michigan on its top goal of increasing mass mail-in balloting. By January 2020, NVAHI had \u201chired a lobbyist to quietly push for an administrative fix that would speed up the ballot processing and counting in Michigan,\u201d according to a 2020 presentation obtained through The Federalist\u2019s open records request. NVAHI detailed a five-step plan to push universal absentee ballots, according to meeting material from 2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn7-1024x572-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269602\" width=\"-107\" height=\"-59\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn7-1024x572-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn7-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn7-768x429-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn7.jpg 1099w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The states that receive one star from NVAHI\u2019s rating system are those that require a valid excuse to vote outside a private booth on election day. States with five stars, its highest rating, had achieved NVAHI\u2019s end goal of \u201cFull Vote at Home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NVAHI developed four strategies to push 100 percent mail-in balloting policy in all 50 states, according to 2019 meeting material. The materials say the organization uses the first strategy to eliminate state safeguards on mail-in ballots: \u201cStrategy 1: Reduce the number of Step 1 and Step 2 (excuse required) States to zero. We can achieve this through federal legislation or state by state (legislature or where possible\u2013 ballot initiatives),\u201d meeting material reads.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"583\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn6-1024x583-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn6-1024x583-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn6-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn6-768x437-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn6.jpg 1099w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The group\u2019s second strategy is to increase the number of states with a permanent absentee ballot option: \u201cStrategy 2: Increase the number of states that are Step 4 (permanent absentee). So, move current no-excuse states (IL, FL, MN, OH, MI, NM, and others) to Step 4,\u201d the meeting material reads.<\/p>\n<p>NVAHI\u2019s third strategy is to increase the number of mail-in-only states: \u201cStrategy 3: Increase the number of states that are Step 5 (full VAH). CA and UT are in process. We anticipate other states will move in this direction,\u201d say the meeting materials.<\/p>\n<p>The group\u2019s final strategy is to affect how government election offices process absentee ballots: \u201cStrategy 4: Work with states to improve their current procedures with regards to processing mail ballots. This includes a variety of reforms that improve the current process,\u201d meeting material reads.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, NVAHI\u2019s Circle of Advisors provided an update on the group\u2019s national policy efforts, according to the Federalist-obtained public documents. A map in this update claimed progress in Michigan during 2018\/2019 with \u201cno excuse absentee,\u201d but even more was planned for 2020, including \u201cfixes to allow for earlier processing of ballots.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn5-1024x587-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn5-1024x587-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn5-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn5-768x440-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn5.jpg 1101w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to the emails obtained by The Federalist\u2019s records request, McReynolds met with Benson about Michigan elections multiple times in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like to connect with you about some follow-up items from my visit,\u201d McReynolds wrote in an email on Jan. 26, 2019. \u201cPerhaps a quick chat at some point while you are at NASS [National Association of Secretaries of State].\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn4-912x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269599\" width=\"-79\" height=\"-88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn4-912x1024-1.jpg 912w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn4-267x300-1.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn4-768x863-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn4.jpg 1046w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>After a previous visit, the emails show, McReynolds planned to meet with Benson and several other secretaries of state at the NASS conference in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to see if we could connect in DC [sic] during NASS,\u201d McReynolds wrote in a Jan. 28, 2019 email. \u201cI was hoping to spend an hour discussing a few topics.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269598\" width=\"651\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn3.jpg 875w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn3-300x291-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn3-768x746-1.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>McReynolds also asked to meet with Benson privately in D.C. to discuss Michigan elections, and Benson agreed, the emails show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPerhaps you and I can chat about Michigan specifically on our own,\u201d McReynolds said in an email on Jan. 30, 2019. \u201cSounds good!\u201d Benson replied.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn2-1024x831-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269597\" width=\"753\" height=\"610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn2-1024x831-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn2-300x244-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn2.jpg 1127w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In February 2019, Benson took advice about absentee ballot applications from both McReynolds and Stephen Silberstein. Silberstein is a left-leaning donor connected with Democracy Alliance and National Popular Vote, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/person\/stephen-silberstein\/\">InfluenceWatch<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is very helpful,\u201d Benson said. \u201cWe will be implementing many of your suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after their January 2019 meeting in D.C., McReynolds offered Benson and former Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R-Wash.) the position of co-chairs of NVAHI\u2019s new Circle of Advisors, the emails show.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn1-814x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-269596\" width=\"716\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn1-814x1024-1.jpg 814w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn1-238x300-1.jpg 238w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn1-768x967-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Washburn1.jpg 851w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI am happy to serve,\u201d Benson replied on Feb. 19, 2019. Wyman, however, is <a href=\"https:\/\/voteathome.org\/about-us\/\">not currently listed<\/a> as a member of the group.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"benson-s-spokesman-denies-private-influence\">Benson\u2019s Spokesman Denies Private Influence<\/h2>\n<p>Rollow claimed McReynolds had \u201climited and minimal\u201d interactions with McReynolds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was asked to join NVAHI\u2019s circle of advisors, but her direct interactions with McReynolds have been limited and minimal,\u201d Rollow said.<\/p>\n<p>Benson <a href=\"https:\/\/voteathome.org\/about-us\/\">joined<\/a> Tiana Epps-Johnson, the founder and director of the Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, on NVAHI\u2019s Circle of Advisors. In 2020, CTCL funneled approximately half a billion dollars from Zuckerberg to public election agencies in 2020, as The Federalist previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/12\/the-2020-election-wasnt-stolen-it-was-bought-by-mark-zuckerberg\/\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"partisan-employees-running-public-elections\">Partisan Employees Running Public Elections<\/h2>\n<p>After officials accepted CTCL grants, NVAHI \u201cgrant mentors\u201d sometimes gained access to absentee ballots and edged public officials out of the election process. In Wisconsin, NVAHI\u2019s State Lead Michael-Spitzer Rubenstein\u2014who previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mspitzerrubenstein\/details\/experience\/\">worked<\/a> for Democrat political campaigns\u2014personally <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/01\/26\/zuckbucks-connected-private-organization-taught-election-officials-to-control-the-narrative-about-mail-in-voting\/\">accessed<\/a> absentee ballots, over Green Bay City Clerk Kris Teske\u2019s objections.<\/p>\n<p>Teske later <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinspotlight.com\/clerk-i-will-not-break-the-law\/\">resigned<\/a> due to frustration over election intervention by third-party groups like CTCL and NVAHI.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know what to do anymore. I am trying to explain the process but it isn\u2019t heard,\u201d Teske <a href=\"https:\/\/empowerwisconsin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Green-Bay-email-Teske-questions.pdf\">said<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t understand how people who don\u2019t have knowledge of the process can tell us how to manage the election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist reached out to McReynolds for comment but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Logan Washburn is studying politics and journalism at Hillsdale College. He is a correspondent for Campus Reform and an outreach assistant for the Freedom Foundation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A nonprofit connected to Mark Zuckerberg-funded groups worked with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to influence state elections ahead of 2020. The changes include getting the state to alter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1399772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1399772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1399772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1399772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1399772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1399772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1399772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}