In the thousands of interviews conducted from this listening post over the years, no one — repeat, no one — has ever used this phrase: “that kinda makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.”

And the honor, if you can call it that, goes to the would-be next governor, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

As off-the-wall as the statement is, given her line of work, you could imagine what she was referring to. In charge of helping you renew your driver’s license, you could see her saying that if she was at a branch office and the dreaded line for a clerk stretched out into the street.

Or, as the state’s highest election official, charged with running all elections on the fair and square, her hair might stand up if someone alleged that 4 million voted last year and all of them were dead!

Ah, but, alas, nothing as dramatic as all that.

Rather, that statement was all about the seemingly innocuous 501(c)(4)s.

What the hey?

Well, if you are a high roller with political connections to big shots in high political places, the so-called C-4s are part of your daily lexicon because, as you are about to find out, they are the vehicle that allows folks with money to donate large wads of it to those elected officials who want it.

And the total beauty of the whole shebang?

NONE OF IT HAS TO BE DISCLOSED TO THE MEDIA OR PUBLIC.

As Benson put it the other day: “I don’t have a C-4, and I won’t.”

Yet she comments that the C-4 arm “maybe” was put on her in the past.

“There have been times when maybe people have said, ‘We need this to get done and, OK, by the way, is there a charity we can write for a C-4 that you have?'” she said. “You know, that kind of stuff makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. When that type of thing happens, it reveals to me how much we’ve got to do to address a culture of corruption in Lansing.”

To be fair, the recipients of that so-called “dark money” might object to a blanket statement that all of the donating is part of the “culture of corruption” in our town.

But, without full disclosure, darkness wins.

And, even though Madam Secretary is for full disclosure of all political contributions, along with countless other good government-types, somehow, the drapes are drawn, keeping the sunshine out, because the Legislature has so far failed to pull them back.

Now, the cynic might argue, there ya go. Why would lawmakers vote to disclose when it is so much easier to take a check from someone and not say anything to anyone?

So is there influence peddling rampant in the system?

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

Until lawmakers caught up the votes to remove those “maybes,” everyone is on the honor system.

How’s the hair on the back of your neck now?