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Michigan governor hopeful pressed on past SPLC work after DOJ indictment: ‘What did Jocelyn know?’
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Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s campaign hit back at Republican attacks Friday after the state GOP demanded answers from the Democratic gubernatorial front-runner on her past work with the federally-indicted Southern Poverty Law Center.
Benson is a former volunteer and later board member of the SPLC, which was indicted Tuesday on 11 counts over accusations it fraudulently paid members of extremist groups like the KKK and those tied to the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the SPLC paid members of these extremist groups so it could create a «work product that reported on these activities.»
«Jocelyn Benson regularly touted her experience as a leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a group that the Department of Justice says secretly funneled money to the KKK and other hate groups they were purportedly tracking,» the Michigan Republican Party posted on its official X account on Friday.
«What did Jocelyn know, and when did she know it?»
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Michigan Attorney General Jocelyn Benson is seen at an event. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
After her 2004 graduation from college in Massachusetts, Benson moved to Alabama to work for the SPLC, where she aided investigations of hate groups and hate crimes, according to the Harvard Law Review.
She also visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma where civil rights figures like the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., marched and were badly beaten by law enforcement.
An official with the Benson campaign confirmed she served as a volunteer researcher for the SPLC after college and later served on the Montgomery-based group’s board from 2014–2018.
But when pressed on what Benson knew about the allegations in the DOJ’s indictment, her campaign pushed back on the Republican Party’s attacks.
«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,» the campaign told Fox News Digital on Friday.
«And while Donald Trump is trying to use his Justice Department to distract from his reckless economic policies that are driving up costs for Michiganders, Jocelyn remains focused on lower costs, raising wages, and protecting the rights and freedoms of the people in this state.»
Republicans continued to press Benson for answers.
MIGOP Chairman Jim Runestad told Fox News Digital that Benson’s tenure on the SPLC board coincided with the timeframe in which the DOJ alleged the group began «paying the KKK and other extremist groups.»
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«Benson owes an explanation to the public in what she knows about the SPLC’s alleged criminal behavior, considering the criminal activity started around the same time Benson was named to the Board,» Runestad said.
Benson has previously described her early work at the SPLC as focused on investigating extremist groups.
In a 2025 interview with «Keen on America,» Benson recounted researching groups «claiming to be the reincarnation of [Adolf] Hitler,» saying she once sat alone in a hotel room in Spartanburg and feared those people «were going to find out who I was and come and kill me and no one would ever know about it and all the rest.»
«And that was an act of courage, small and no one saw it, but it helped me build a bravery muscle that and several other points throughout my life so that 20 years later, 25 years later, when I’m standing up to the president of the United States, it wasn’t the first time I’ve had to take on those harrowing fights,» Benson went on in the interview.
In prior comments, an SPLC official named Penny Weaver described Benson as coming to Montgomery «straight out of college as an unpaid intern, then worked for us.»
«Benson worked as a waitress to support herself so she could continue to volunteer at the center,» Weaver said, adding that Benson begged to be able to volunteer for the SPLC.
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The SPLC is a longstanding left-wing nonprofit that claims to fight White supremacy and racial hatred by reporting on extremist groups and conducting research to inform law enforcement about them with the goal of dismantling the groups. SPLC’s CEO, Bryan Fair, addressed the probe in a video message posted online, arguing the Trump administration has «made no secret who they want to protect and who they want to destroy.»
«We are reviewing the charges,» a subsequent statement from Fair sent to Fox News Digital added. «However, after today’s Department of Justice press conference, we are outraged by the false allegations levied against SPLC – an organization that for 55 years has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multi-racial democracy where we can all live and thrive. Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do. To be clear, this program saved lives.»
The complete list of these groups, according to a Justice Department press release, includes the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, Unite the Right, National Alliance, the National Socialist Movement, Aryan Nations affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club, National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party), and the American Front.
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Blanche and FBI Director Patel also argued Tuesday that the SPLC tried to hide its payments to groups the SPLC told its donors it was trying to combat, leading to several of the charges in the indictment.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and Alec Schemmel and Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
democrats elections, michigan, hate crime, republicans, politics, justice department
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Reporter’s Notebook: How Trump’s surprise move on DNI confirmation upended key Senate deal on FISA
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They didn’t know what to do.
Just before 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, President Trump blindsided everyone in the U.S. Senate. In a post on Truth Social, the president declared he was «cancelling the Senate hearing» for his Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton. Moreover, the President said he would withhold Clayton’s nomination from «going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney.»
If confirmed, Clayton would vacate his post as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. That’s the slot for which the President is nominating McDonald.
TRUMP SAYS SENATE HEARING ON DNI NOMINEE IS CANCELED UNTIL US ATTORNEY REPLACEMENT CONFIRMED
Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks next to Jessica S. Tisch, New York Police Department commissioner, during a press conference at NYPD headquarters following the arrest of suspects charged with igniting IEDs near Gracie Mansion, the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in New York City on March 9, 2026. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
So what would happen with the hearing?
Lawmakers and aides scrambled as they woke to the news Wednesday morning. After all, Trump is the president. He doesn’t have the authority to cancel a Senate hearing.
«Yeah. I don’t think that’s his call,» said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Intelligence Committee.
One senior source told Fox News they presumed that Clayton’s confirmation hearing would forge ahead. Another told Fox the fate of the hearing was «undetermined.»
On one hand, lawmakers and aides had to first digest what was happening. Was the President withdrawing Clayton’s nomination? Was he saying he just wasn’t allowing Clayton to testify? Did the head of the executive branch really believe he could bigfoot a congressional hearing? Or was this the president flexing his political muscle, testing Senate Republicans to see how compliant they might be with his intimation — and potentially cancel the hearing on their own?
So was Clayton’s hearing on or off?
«Are we going to have an Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing today?» yours truly asked panel Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., as he slid behind a backdoor to a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Silence from Cotton.
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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., arrives for a vote in the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025, stating the war with Iran will continue for weeks as the U.S. limits their offensive capabilities. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«Do you know the answer?» I followed up.
«Do you think the President overstepped his bounds, saying he was canceling the hearing?» I continued.
By that point, Cotton was well behind the doorway and it closed.
«I have never seen anything quite like this,» said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of the longest-serving members on the Intelligence Committee in Senate history. «Everybody else is going to have to keep guessing for a while.»
It was Washington whiplash.
«Things change around here pretty quick, Chad,» quipped Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
But a bit later, Cotton finally weighed-in when he posted on X that the hearing would proceed. The Arkansas Republican then materialized again in the hallway, heading for an elevator bank.
«To be clear, you will proceed with the hearing and you expect Jay Clayton to be there despite what the President said?» I asked.
A steel-faced Cotton stared straight ahead at the green elevator door.
«Chad, you have our statement,» said a terse Cotton.
But an hour later, Cotton ditched the hearing after the President blocked Clayton from testifying.
«It’s regrettable that the President has directed Jay Clayton not to appear at his confirmation hearing today,» said Cotton in a new statement on X. «While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.»
The stunning reversal left everyone trying to grasp what happened. And what might be next.
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U.S. President Donald Trump attends a morning work meeting to «revive balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all» in the presence of the G7 countries, partner countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD, as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images)
«I am not sure whether Jay Clayton has simply been postponed or withdrawn,» mused Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the Vice Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. «I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn.»
Democrats and Republicans brokered a fragile agreement weeks ago to renew FISA Section 702. The intelligence community argues that program is the powerful tool in the American arsenal to track and combat potential terrorism. Congress repeatedly punted a full renewal for months.
But with both bodies on the precipice of reauthorizing the program, President Trump announced he would install housing czar Bill Pulte as interim DNI. Democrats balked at Pulte, noting he had no intelligence experience. Plus, they viewed him as a political hack who would run roughshod over America’s intelligence apparatus.
So Democrats pulled their support from the FISA compromise.
Most Republicans weren’t exactly enamored with Pulte, either. And those worried about the nation’s security pushed to block Pulte from entering the DNI’s office. That’s why Cotton scheduled Clayton’s confirmation hearing so quickly. It was thought that the Senate might be able to pivot after the hearing and confirm Clayton on the floor late this week or early next.
Rapid confirmation of Clayton was essential. Such a scenario would unlock Democrats’ votes to reauthorize FISA Section 702 after the program’s congressional blessing expired a week ago.
That was the plan. At least until the president initiated the firestorm over Clayton’s confirmation hearing this week.
«Another Trump victory gets upended by an impulse,» vented Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. «It’s frustrating.»
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Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2025, before the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
But wait. There’s more.
President Trump inserted another chestnut — or hot potato — into his pre-dawn Truth Social screed. Especially if you thought the president was going to make it easy for Congress to hastily re-up FISA as soon as the Senate confirmed Clayton.
«To add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,» Trump said.
He added that his plan was for Pulte to «remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence» and declared that «Republicans fell into a trap.»
The SAVE America Act is the touchstone of President Trump’s 2026 legislative agenda. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. However, the bill has never garnered even 50 yeas in the Senate on two previous test votes.
«We’ve got to pass the SAVE America Act and conditioning passage of FISA on the prior passage of SAVE America would be a great thing,» said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Other Senate Republicans were more realistic, based on the legislative history of the SAVE America Act.
«You can’t always get what you want,» said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. «I mean, I want a Porsche for my birthday. I’m not going to get it.»
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Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said a classified briefing reinforced his view that Iran’s leaders would use a nuclear weapon if they obtained one during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. (Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters)
Democrats seethed about national security as Republicans squirmed.
«We had a path forward as of yesterday (on FISA) and today we don’t,» said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. «This has become a complete debacle and now it’s up to the White House to figure out a path forward here.»
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No one knows what’s next for Clayton. Or McDonald. Or FISA. And there’s high skepticism anything happens on the SAVE America Act. So it’s all in a cryogenic Congressional freeze.
Regardless, Clayton’s confirmation hearing never happened. Such hearings are the responsibility of the legislative branch. But by the end of the day, there was no question who canceled it.
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Evacuan de emergencia a la presidenta Laura Fernández tras fuerte explosión en Crucitas, Costa Rica
Un fuerte estruendo, descrito preliminarmente como el sonido de una explosión, obligó este viernes 19 de junio, activar los protocolos de emergencia y a evacuar de forma inmediata a la presidenta de la República, Laura Fernández, junto a una comitiva de ministros y diputados que realizaban una gira oficial en la zona de Crucitas de Cutris, en San Carlos, con el objetivo de abordar la problemática de la extracción ilegal de oro.
La mandataria fue retirada rápidamente del sitio por su equipo de seguridad y escoltada en un vehículo oficial como medida estrictamente preventiva. El estruendo encendió las alertas e informó que los cuerpos policiales ya ejecutan un rastreo profundo en la montaña para ubicar a las personas que habrían provocado la detonación.
Imágenes del tenso momento en que la presidenta de la Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica, Laura Fernández, es evacuada de emergencia por su cuerpo de seguridad durante una visita a la conflictiva zona de Crucitas, tras escucharse detonaciones.
Minutos después de ser puesta a salvo, la presidenta Fernández ofreció sus primeras declaraciones oficiales a los medios de comunicación presentes, confirmando que toda la comitiva se encuentra bien, pero lanzó una dura advertencia sobre la situación en la zona.
“Nos han pedido suspender esta conferencia de prensa porque el área va a tener que ser evacuada. Sin embargo, tomé la decisión, por respeto al pueblo de Costa Rica de que hagamos una declaración y le reportemos al país lo que está pasando aquí”, expresó la mandataria.
“Todos estamos bien, habíamos preparado un trayecto de alrededor de siete kilómetros inicialmente, pero después se redujo a una distancia menor por la seguridad, pero evidentemente esto está totalmente salido de control. Es muy doloroso decirlo, pero está salido de control”.
Por su parte, el jerarca de Seguridad detalló cómo se activaron los protocolos tácticos tras el estruendo e informó que las unidades policiales persiguen a sospechosos en la montaña.
“Ya en la parte final, cuando veníamos de regreso, creo que todos escuchamos una explosión y la acción de los cuerpos policiales. El reporte que tengo hasta este momento es que se está haciendo todo un barrido perimetral con las unidades tácticas”.
“Me dicen que vieron gente por el sector donde veníamos, a unos doscientos metros; es la que estamos tratando de encontrar, pero sí es algo preocupante. Gracias a Dios contamos con los protocolos de seguridad. Nadie sufrió ninguna lesión, pudimos evacuar”, expresó el funcionario.
El origen de la crisis: De la minería legal al descontrol clandestino
La extracción de oro en Crucitas de San Carlos pasó de ser un antiguo proyecto corporativo a convertirse en una de las peores crisis ambientales y de seguridad vial en la historia reciente de Costa Rica. En la década de 2000, el Estado otorgó los permisos de explotación a cielo abierto a la empresa canadiense Industrias Infinito.
Sin embargo, tras intensas batallas legales, fuertes protestas civiles y denuncias por irregularidades, el país prohibió la minería metálica y logró ganar un arbitraje internacional definitivo.
El abandono del proyecto original dejó un vacío que fue rápidamente aprovechado por redes del crimen organizado. Miles de mineros clandestinos, conocidos como “coligalleros”, invadieron los terrenos abandonados, desatando un desastre ambiental sin precedentes debido al uso indiscriminado de mercurio y cianuro para procesar el material.
Hoy en día, la problemática ha escalado a un fenómeno transfronterizo altamente complejo, donde el oro extraído ilegalmente en suelo costarricense es trasladado de forma ilícita hacia Nicaragua para su procesamiento industrial.
Fue precisamente la gravedad de este escenario marcado por la degradación ecológica profunda, la vulneración de la soberanía nacional y la violencia en la frontera lo que motivó la visita de la presidenta Laura Fernández este viernes.
La mandataria, acompañada por ministros y diputados, planeaba recorrer en persona las fincas afectadas para evaluar de primera mano los daños y coordinar nuevas estrategias de intervención policial. No obstante, la detonación registrada a escasos 200 metros de la comitiva oficial no solo interrumpió la gira, sino que terminó de confirmar el crudo diagnóstico que la propia gobernante dio ante los micrófonos: la situación en la zona norte se encuentra totalmente fuera de control.
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