Michigan House Republicans demand Benson release SPLC records

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Michigan House Republicans passed a resolution calling on Michigan Secretary of State and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson to release records tied to her past involvement with the Southern Poverty Law Center following a federal indictment against the organization.

House Resolution 313, introduced by State Rep. Rachelle Smit, R-Martin, urges Benson to voluntarily disclose any information in her possession related to the SPLC’s operations and alleged financial ties to extremist groups.

“The legislature has a responsibility to hold state officers accountable for their actions; especially when those actions throw their ability to carry out constitutionally mandated responsibilities into question,” Smit, R-Martin, said in a statement. “If the person charged with operating our elections fairly for all Michiganders stands accused of leading an organization funneling money to hate groups like the KKK, lawmakers must demand accountability.”

Benson did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment on the resolution.

The Republican-led House passed the resolution on a party-line vote. No Democrats supported the resolution.

This comes after federal prosecutors announced charges against the SPLC last month, including wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the federal indictment, the SPLC allegedly directed more than $3 million in donor funds between 2014 and 2023 to individuals associated with extremist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations and the National Socialist Movement.

Benson served on the SPLC’s board of directors from 2014 through early 2019, overlapping with part of the timeframe outlined in the indictment.

“Secretary Benson led an organization now accused of funneling money to some of the most hateful, twisted extremist groups in our nation,” Smit said. “Secretary Benson is at a very serious crossroads. Did she knowingly help fund some of the worst extremist group in the U.S., or was she blind at the wheel of an organization laundering money to perpetuate hate?”

The resolution also calls on Benson to publicly address her role within the organization, which she has yet to do.

State Rep. Joseph Fox, R-Fremont, said lawmakers and the public deserve answers regarding Benson’s involvement.

“What we need is transparency,” Fox said in a statement. “The accusations that have been made against the SPLC are extremely troubling. When an organization like the SPLC is accused of funding extremists, the people of Michigan deserve to know who was involved and to what extent.”

Fox also referenced Benson’s past work as an undercover investigator for the SPLC and said she should disclose “what she knew, and when she knew it.”

“Anything less would be a betrayal to the people of this state,” Fox said.

Federal officials have alleged the SPLC solicited donations under the premise of combating extremism while secretly funding individuals tied to hate groups.

“The SPLC was not dismantling these groups,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference announcing the charges. “It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

The SPLC has denied the allegations. SPLC CEO Bryan Fair previously called the accusations “false” and defended the organization’s work monitoring extremist groups.

Separately, Benson is also facing multiple lawsuits alleging racial discrimination within the Michigan Department of State, which she leads.

A lawsuit filed just before the announcement of the indictment by Metro Detroit employees Jaqueline Griffin and Cherylann Sanker alleges they were subjected to discrimination and retaliation. The plaintiffs are seeking $10 million in damages.

“We unequivocally refute these false allegations,” Angela Benander, Benson’s chief communications officer, previously told The Center Square. “The secretary and department leadership hold themselves and every employee to the highest legal and ethical standards across the board. We do not tolerate any discrimination, harassment, or retaliation and we are prepared to fight this case in court.”

The case marks at least the fourth lawsuit in recent years alleging racial discrimination within the department. A separate lawsuit filed in January on behalf of four employees also alleged a “racially hostile environment.”

In a sworn statement included in that case, former Assistant Secretary of State Heaster Wheeler said he raised concerns directly with Benson.

“I brought these matters to the attention of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson,” Wheeler wrote. “Ms. Benson did not act to correct this situation.”

Benson’s department has denied the allegations of racial discrimination. Previous disputes have resulted in settlements, including a $775,000 agreement reached in 2024 with a former employee who alleged a “racially hostile” work environment.

This all comes as Benson campaigns for governor and is considered a leading Democrat candidate for the election, which is in just 172 days.