Benson, a Democrat, is also running for governor this year. She has secured the backing of much of the Democratic establishment and has consistently led fellow Democrat Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in public polling.

Federal prosecutors announced charges against the SPLC including wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in April.

According to the federal indictment, the SPLC “secretly funneled” 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.

“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.

Benson served on the SPLC’s board of directors from 2014 through 2018, overlapping with the timeframe outlined in the indictment.

The Michigan state House Oversight Committee has been investigating Benson’s connections to the SPLC. It held a hearing regarding the issue Wednesday, releasing emails from the Michigan Department of State that Republicans say show she “maintained a working relationship” with the organization after being elected to office in 2018.

“Her continued embrace of the SPLC makes her current situation even more difficult,” said state Rep. Rachelle Smit, R-Martin. “Benson led an organization accused of funneling money to hate groups and domestic terrorists. The public should rightfully question whether she was directly involved or if her leadership was so flimsy that she was completely unaware of the potential heinous actions happening right under her nose.”