Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf announced he is referring Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s chief legal director to federal authorities, accusing her of obstruction of justice and witness intimidation in an ongoing criminal investigation tied to the state’s voter registration system. The referral, detailed in a series of videotaped statements posted to X on September 21, 2026, marks a sharp escalation in the sheriff’s conflict with the state’s top election office just weeks before the November general election.
According to reporting by The Gateway Pundit, Leaf’s dispute centers on his investigation into a whistleblower claim that non-citizens were automatically added to Michigan’s voter roll when they changed their address at a Secretary of State branch office. Leaf said the whistleblower, whom he now describes as a protected confidential informant, brought evidence to his office that was subsequently forwarded to the federal government. He also alleges that a Secretary of State manager admitted knowing about the automatic placements and told the employee not to worry because city clerks would remove the non-citizens. Leaf called that assurance a lie, saying clerks cannot see citizenship status on the Qualified Voter File and therefore lack the data to perform such removals.
Leaf said his investigation is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, and that federal agencies have already interviewed witnesses. He described the case as “extremely serious.”
The Disputed Letter
In his second video, Leaf said Michigan Department of State Chief Legal Director Khyla D. Craine sent him a letter asserting that branch staff are not authorized to provide law enforcement with information in response to a verbal request. According to Leaf, Craine also accused him of contacting Elections Director Jonathan Brater outside official channels and of harassing Secretary of State staff. Leaf posted her letter on his X account.
In response, Leaf argued that he does not need permission from Benson’s legal counsel to interview witnesses in a criminal investigation that he says includes Secretary of State management and the automatic placement of non-citizens on the voter roll. He contended that routing investigative requests through her chain of command is precisely how obstruction occurs, and announced he was referring Craine to the federal government for obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and related charges. He warned Craine directly that her law license does not give her permission to violate the law or obstruct a criminal investigation, noting that Michigan had already held a federal primary election and would hold a general election in November 2026.
Allegations of Record Destruction
In a third video, Leaf turned to Elections Director Jonathan Brater, alleging that the removal of individuals from the Qualified Voter File began immediately after the sheriff went public with the whistleblower’s claim. Leaf said Brater and staff working under him started pulling people off the QVF and told municipal clerks to delete local master cards, which serve as a clerk’s proof that a person was registered. Leaf cited MCL 168.514, which requires that a canceled master card be retained for several years, and called Brater’s instruction unlawful. He added that Brater has previously testified under oath that the state does not maintain a permanent QVF record, making the master card the only evidence of who is being removed. Ordering those cards destroyed, Leaf said, amounts to destruction of evidence of illegal registrations.
Leaf has also claimed broader obstruction by Benson and her staff, saying he interviewed a manager who he believes documented the automatic registration of non-citizens on the voter roll. According to Leaf, the man gave a scripted response, saying the Secretary of State’s office would not permit him to speak. Leaf said that asking for a full name and date of birth is standard practice in any investigation, including a murder case, and that he records interviews and documents every witness and suspect the same way. He added that an employee and a district manager were told in advance not to cooperate, and that he recorded those interactions.
A Cover-Up Claim and New Preservation Directive
In a subsequent video, Leaf alleged a cover-up that includes gagging witnesses and wiping poll books. He said his office has evidence that Melissa Thomas and other managers are telling whistleblowers they may not report crimes to law enforcement — conduct he characterized as criminal — and that Thomas will also be referred for federal investigation. Leaf further said that on September 16, 2026, a Court of Appeals judge instructed Benson to notify all clerks that electronic poll book data must be preserved, and issued an injunction barring deletion of that data in Washtenaw County. Municipal clerks, according to Leaf, say they never received that notification.
The Barry County Sheriff’s Office is now advising every clerk to retain electronic poll book data from all elections for 22 months, citing federal law and MCL 168.811. Leaf also said anyone with information can contact his office and will be treated as a confidential informant.
The allegations come as Benson, a Democrat, campaigns for governor in the November 2026 election. Leaf’s statements amount to an extraordinary public challenge to the state’s chief election administrator from a county sheriff, and they raise questions about how state and federal authorities will handle the competing claims. The Secretary of State’s office has not publicly responded to the specific accusations, and none of the allegations have been independently verified. Federal officials have not commented on the referral.
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com — https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/what-are-they-hiding-michigan-sheriff-refers-sec/