2026 House Resolution 313

Whereas, The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a Montgomery, Alabama-based nonprofit organization, has long presented itself to donors and the public as a leading defender against hate and extremism; and

Whereas, On April 21, 2026, a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, returned an 11-count indictment charging the SPLC with wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The indictment alleges that, between 2014 and 2023, “the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in SPLC funds to [individuals] who were associated with various violent extremist groups,” including the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nations, and the National Socialist Party of America. The indictment further alleges that, by failing to inform donors that some of their funds would be used in this manner, the SPLC defrauded its donors; and

Whereas, The U.S. Department of Justice has indicated that these payments were made while the SPLC was actively soliciting donations under false pretenses, advertising itself to donors as an entity that fights the very extremism it was allegedly funding. At a press conference, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: “As the indictment describes, the SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.” Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson, who brought the indictment, stated that the SPLC “diverted a portion of [donated] funds to benefit individuals and groups they claimed to oppose. That kind of deception undermines public trust and social cohesion”; and

Whereas, Jocelyn Benson, the current Michigan Secretary of State, worked at the SPLC before attending law school as a volunteer researcher and undercover investigator. In this role, she posed as a freelance journalist to meet with neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, including meeting with leaders such as neo-Nazi figure Davis Wolfgang Hawke. This early undercover investigative work involved direct engagement with the very types of extremist networks from which the SPLC allegedly recruited and paid confidential informants and sources, raising questions about the continuity of such practices and whether Benson possesses unique knowledge of the organization’s methods for handling informants and funding decisions related to hate group infiltration; and

Whereas, Jocelyn Benson would later serve on the SPLC’s Board of Directors from 2014 through 2018, just before her election as Secretary of State. This period directly overlaps with some years covered by the federal indictment, including years during which certain payments were allegedly made to informants associated with extremist groups. As a member of the SPLC Board of Directors during this critical time frame, Jocelyn Benson may have had direct knowledge of, and potentially played a role in, the organization’s decisions regarding the allocation of donor funds, including any payments to individuals associated with the extremist groups identified in the indictment; and

Whereas, Jocelyn Benson occupies a high-ranking elected statewide office that carries substantial authority and influence. This prominent role has the potential to intimidate, or create an appearance of undue pressure on, federal and state administrative officials tasked with regulating nonprofit organizations, including those responsible for investigating the serious allegations of fraud and misuse of donor funds at the SPLC, thereby risking the integrity and impartiality of any such oversight or enforcement actions. Voluntarily disclosing information about her role in the SPLC and her knowledge of their operations would help Jocelyn Benson to avoid any appearance of impropriety; and

Whereas, Jocelyn Benson has a demonstrated history of failing to be transparent with the House of Representatives and the public, as evidenced by the House of Representatives voting to hold Secretary of State Benson in civil contempt in May 2025 for her refusal to fully comply with a subpoena and turn over complete election training materials used to train local clerks and election staff, despite the House’s legitimate oversight responsibilities. Refusing to disclose information regarding her prior leadership role at the SPLC would add to an already concerning pattern of concealing information; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge Jocelyn Benson to immediately release all information, documents, communications, and records in her possession or knowledge related to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s operations, funding decisions, and use of paid informants, including any details concerning the organization’s alleged payments to individuals associated with extremist groups; and be it further

Resolved, That, consistent with her prior failure to fully comply with a subpoena issued by a committee of the House of Representatives and the resulting finding of contempt, we call upon Jocelyn Benson to discontinue her pattern of hiding information from the public and the Michigan Legislature by fully and promptly disclosing the requested materials related to the Southern Poverty Law Center and publicly addressing her role on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Board of Directors, including whether she had any involvement in or awareness of the decisions that led to the alleged payments detailed in the federal indictment; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to Jocelyn Benson, the Attorney General of the United States, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.