Michigan Secretary of State Benson Under Scrutiny for SPLC Ties Following Federal Indictment

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faces growing pressure from Republican opponents regarding her past affiliation with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which was recently indicted on federal charges for allegedly paying members of extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

The Michigan Republican Party launched pointed criticisms Friday, demanding answers about Benson’s knowledge of the SPLC’s alleged illegal activities. The organization publicly questioned, “What did Jocelyn know, and when did she know it?” on its official social media channels, directly challenging the Democratic gubernatorial front-runner.

According to the Department of Justice, the SPLC faces 11 federal counts for allegedly making fraudulent payments to members of extremist organizations such as the KKK and groups connected to the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the SPLC paid these extremist group members to create “work product that reported on these activities.”

Benson’s campaign confirmed she volunteered as a researcher for the SPLC after graduating from college in 2004 and later served on the organization’s board from 2014 to 2018. Her early work reportedly focused on investigating hate groups and extremist organizations, experiences she has referenced publicly in past interviews.

“Jocelyn Benson has spent her career advancing the unfinished work of the civil rights movement and expanding economic opportunity, including helping dismantle white supremacist and neo-Nazi extremist networks responsible for hate crimes across the country,” her campaign stated in response to the allegations. The statement further suggested the investigation was politically motivated, claiming, “Donald Trump is trying to use his Justice Department to distract from his reckless economic policies.”

Michigan GOP chairman Jim Runestad intensified the criticism, pointing out that Benson’s tenure on the SPLC board coincided with the timeframe in which the DOJ alleges the organization began “paying the KKK and other extremist groups.” Runestad insisted that “Benson owes an explanation to the public in what she knows about the SPLC’s alleged criminal behavior.”

In previous public comments, Benson has described her early work with the SPLC as personally challenging but formative to her development as a public servant. During a 2025 interview with “Keen on America,” she recounted researching neo-Nazi groups, saying she once feared for her life while conducting this work in Spartanburg. A former SPLC official named Penny Weaver has described Benson as having initially volunteered without pay, working as a waitress to support herself while contributing to the organization’s mission.

The SPLC, a long-established left-wing nonprofit, has built its reputation on monitoring and reporting on extremist groups. According to the Justice Department, the organization allegedly paid members of numerous hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, Unite the Right, National Alliance, National Socialist Movement, Aryan Nations affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club, National Socialist Party of America, and the American Front.

SPLC CEO Bryan Fair has strongly defended the organization, stating in a video message that the Trump administration “made no secret who they want to protect and who they want to destroy.” In a written statement, Fair expressed outrage at the “false allegations,” emphasizing that the organization’s work “saved lives” by monitoring dangerous extremist groups.

As this controversy unfolds, it adds a significant dimension to Michigan’s already contentious gubernatorial race, where Benson has emerged as a leading Democratic candidate. The coming weeks will likely see continued debate over what role, if any, she played in the activities now under federal investigation.