Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) is facing legal scrutiny over her board membership with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which has been federally indicted for funding extremist groups.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox (R) and MCR Special Teams served Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) with legal papers related to her role on the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) board on Wednesday evening. The SPLC has been federally indicted for funding extremists and extremist groups, including payments to individuals linked to organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and National Socialist Movement. 📺 DETAIL: Prosecutors allege that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC funneled over $4 million in donor funds to extremists, ostensibly for infiltration purposes. However, some funds were reportedly used for group-related activities, including recruitment, with critics arguing the SPLC was unlawfully sustaining far-right extremism in order to maintain its own relevance. Benson served on the SPLC board in 2017, during events like the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, where the SPLC allegedly funded an informant who helped organize the event. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “[Jocelyn Benson] served on the board of the SPLC that is now federally indicted for funding hate groups like the KKK while also serving as Michigan’s Secretary of State. Michigan deserves the truth about what she knew.” – Mike Cox 🎯 IMPACT: This lawsuit adds to the mounting controversies surrounding Benson, who has previously faced accusations of election misconduct and racial discrimination during her tenure as Michigan’s Secretary of State. In 2024, she attempted to bar President Donald J. Trump from appearing on Michigan ballots, in a move that was eventually quashed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Cox’s legal action raises questions about her knowledge of the SPLC’s activities and whether her role on the board conflicts with her public duties as a state official. 📺 FLASHBACK: Benson joined the SPLC board in 2017, a year before being elected Michigan Secretary of State. Her online profiles were reportedly scrubbed of SPLC references before her campaign, raising concerns about transparency. |
.@JocelynBenson you can run, but you can’t hide. You’ve been served.
You served on the board of the SPLC that is now federally indicted for funding hate groups like the KKK while also serving as Michigan’s Secretary of State.
Michigan deserves the truth about what she knew,… pic.twitter.com/2FkvYBzgjD
— Mike Cox (@Mike_Cox) July 29, 2026
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