How Can Benson Stand Up to Big Tech When She Takes Their Money?

enjoyer.com

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson—who is supervising her own election for governor—is coming under scrutiny again for dodging questions about her husband’s involvement in bringing a massive data center to Saline.

Aerial rendering of proposed data center complex with multiple large warehouse buildings and parking areas

In an interview with Michigan Climate Action Network last week, an audience member asked Benson about data centers and she responded:

“Here’s what we do in Michigan: We put guardrails in place to ensure greedy corporations cannot come to Michigan and take advantage of our air and our water.”

Certainly that means she’s not taking money from those same “greedy corporations,” right?

Another audience member asked her if she would take money from DTE. Benson said: “I will not, and I have not.”

Her own campaign finance records tell a different story.

DTE Energy headquarters building in downtown Detroit with corporate signage visible on the rooftop

Benson has already accepted money from at least one DTE executive: Andrew Coulouris, vice president of corporate and government Affairs.

Our previously reported analysis of Benson’s Legacy PAC shows Benson receiving thousands of dollars from Silicon Valley tech executives, including a $1 million investment from Arista’s CEO Kenneth Duda, among others.

We also reviewed “Jocelyn Benson for Governor” campaign finance reports, downloaded by Michigan Enjoyer to include every donor over $1,000.

Notable donors include:

  • Oracle’s Executive Vice President Evan Goldberg. Oracle, alongside OpenAI and Related Companies, is developing the controversial Saline Township data center.
  • Google's Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, one of the world's most influential AI researchers; Suzanne Frey, Vice President and “steward of information” at Google Cloud; Borderless AI Advisor (listed as a “Google Advisor”) Beth Steinberg; and “grantmaker” Kathy Kwan, wife of early Google Engineering Leader Alan Eustace and president of the Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation. Google is pursuing one of Michigan's largest proposed data center campuses in Van Buren Township.
  • Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn's co-founder, one of OpenAI's earliest financial backers, and an influential AI investor.
  • NVIDIA—the company powering the AI revolution. NVIDIA chips are the backbone of the vast majority of advanced AI systems operated by Google, Meta, OpenAI, Oracle, Microsoft, and Amazon. Benson's donor list includes co-founder Chris Malachowsky, security engineer Kyle Lady, and company attorney Mark Hoose.
  • The Midwesterner previously reported a February fundraiser at the home of Jeff and Lisa Blau, the CEO of Related Digital. New names and receipts will likely appear in the next campaign finance report.

    • Benson’s husband, Ryan Friedrichs, served as vice president of Related Digital, a Stephen Ross company. He advocated for the Saline Data Center. In a House Oversight Committee meeting, expert Christy Gillenwater estimated Friedrichs could make up to $70 million in commissions from the project.

    Benson’s remarks earlier this week to the Michigan Climate Action Group have already received backlash from at least one prominent Democrat fundraiser.

    Kelly Neumann, a Traverse City-area trial attorney and Democrat fundraiser, who had already hosted fundraisers for Jocelyn Benson and contributed to her campaign, switched her endorsement to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

    Benson says Michigan needs guardrails to keep "greedy corporations" from exploiting the state. Voters will have to decide whether those guardrails still work when the same industries building Michigan's AI infrastructure are also helping finance her campaign.

    The next time she’s asked about taking money from DTE, she should check her campaign finance records or Michigan Enjoyer.