LIVONIA, Mich. — April 27, 2026 — Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is calling for an investigation and expanded public disclosure regarding Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her past affiliation with the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Cox, who previously served as attorney general and spent more than two decades as a prosecutor, announced Monday that he has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records of communications between Benson, the Michigan Department of State, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, often referred to as the SPLC.
The request, according to Cox, seeks emails, internal communications, and other records connected to Benson’s tenure on the organization’s board. Cox also urged Benson to voluntarily release additional materials beyond the scope of the request, including notes, calendars, and other documentation tied to her time with the group.
Cox’s call comes amid claims that the SPLC is facing a federal indictment tied to alleged financial misconduct, including accusations of fraud, false statements, and money laundering. He pointed to the overlap between the timeframe referenced in the alleged indictment and Benson’s service on the organization’s board as a basis for further scrutiny.
“As a former attorney general, I know the difference between political noise and serious public corruption concerns. This is serious,” Cox said in a statement. “This federal indictment raises obvious questions: What did Jocelyn Benson know? When did she know it? And did her relationship with SPLC continue into her work as Michigan Secretary of State?”
Cox added that, in his view, full transparency is necessary to address public concerns.
“The public deserves full transparency into her time on the board and her time running Michigan’s elections,” he said. “If there is nothing to hide, release the records.”
Benson’s office has not yet publicly responded to Cox’s request or the allegations referenced in his statement.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit known for tracking hate groups and litigating civil rights cases, has not issued a public statement addressing the claims of a federal indictment referenced by Cox.
As of Monday, no independent confirmation of the alleged indictment had been immediately verified through publicly available federal court records.
The situation remains developing.
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