State Rep. Jay DeBoyer this week supported an adopted House Resolution that calls for full transparency from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson given her past involvement with a federally indicted group.

Benson served on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Board of Directors from 2014-18. She also was a volunteer researcher and undercover investigator for the SPLC before attending law school. Part of this undercover investigative work involved direct engagement with members of extremist groups and networks.

The federal indictment alleges SPLC, which long presented itself to donors and the general public as a leading defender against hate and extremism, funneled money to individuals associated with groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nations, and the National Socialist Party of America. Benson’s time on the Board of Directors overlapped when these actions allegedly occurred. House Resolution 313 urges Benson to publicly address what role she had involving decisions within the organization and to release all information in her possession related to SPLC’s alleged scheme.

“Transparency is the word of the day,” said DeBoyer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, when addressing the resolution on the House floor. “We hear it all the time from elected officials. Secretary of State Benson occupies a high-ranking office that carries a lot of authority and influence. She should tell the people what she knew and what role she played. She owes that to people across our state who entrusted her to serve in this high-level capacity and expected her to be an accountable public official.”

When laying out the indictment at a press conference, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: “the SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

“Being on the Board of Directors within an organization like this is very different than a corporation. You have a fiduciary responsibility to know what’s going on,” DeBoyer said. The deception that’s detailed in this indictment is disturbing, and people are demanding answers from those who may have been connected to this alleged behavior – including Jocelyn Benson. Unfortunately, she has demonstrated time and time again that her strategy of choice is obstruct, obstruct, obstruct. Deny, deny, deny and then go to court. The people may never know. But they should know.”