Michigan's new political transparency portal delayed by months, company isn't meeting state goals
Michigan’s new political transparency portal was delayed by months amid growing tensions between state officials and the contractor hired to build the system, according to emails obtained by Bridge Michigan.
The portal, named the Michigan Transparency Network, is meant to be an integrated system for campaign finance, lobbying and personal financial disclosures — providing the public a view into key ethics filings by candidates and their elected officials.
But the online system has become a longstanding headache for the Michigan Department of State. Tyler Technologies, a Texas firm that was the sole qualified bidder for the $9 million contract, has struggled to follow through on project goals touted by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
The emails, obtained through a records request, show state officials had months of back-and-forth amid growing frustration with the contractor, repeatedly calling delays and programming errors “unacceptable.”
https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2025-11-12/michigans-new-political-transparency-portal-delayed-by-months-company-isnt-meeting-state-goals