Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, now a declared candidate for Governor, is facing mounting legal challenges from within her own department as multiple racial discrimination lawsuits follow a six-figure settlement her office paid in 2024.
The $775,000 Settlement
In July 2024, the Michigan Secretary of State's office settled a racial discrimination claim brought by Angela Harness, the former Director of Quality and Customer Experience who oversaw approximately 1,100 employees.
Harness, a Black woman, alleged that her authority was systematically reduced beginning in late 2023 by Chief of Staff Christina Anderson. She further alleged retaliation for hiring Black candidates and for protesting discriminatory treatment within the department.
Harness filed her notice of intent to sue in May 2024 in the Michigan Court of Claims. Two months later, the state settled for $775,000 with no admission of wrongdoing. The settlement was large enough to require a filing with the Michigan Attorney General's office.
Three Additional Lawsuits
The Harness settlement did not end the legal scrutiny.
On January 10, 2026, four employees filed suit in Wayne County Circuit Court under Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The plaintiffs, David Murray, Elvine VanBolden, Mychael Foster, and Nirva Civilus, named Benson, Chief of Staff Christina Anderson, COO Jackie Venton, Division Administrator John Strodtbeck, and Labor Relations Director Brittany Edwards as defendants.
The complaint includes specific allegations of discriminatory conduct. Murray was allegedly denied a pay increase that was given to white coworkers in comparable roles. VanBolden was allegedly pressured to hire a white candidate over a more qualified Black applicant. Foster was allegedly forced to drive an additional 206 miles per day as a form of punishment. Civilus alleged she was urged to terminate older employees and refused to comply.
The lawsuit also alleges that Anderson directed the discontinuation of diversity training programs and dissolved the department's Race and Equity Task Force.
A separate, third complaint was also filed alleging a racially hostile work environment within the department. The Secretary of State's office responded to the lawsuits by calling the allegations "absolutely false."
A Senior Advisor's Sworn Testimony
Perhaps the most significant development came from inside Benson's own leadership team. Heaster Wheeler, the former Assistant Secretary of State and a senior advisor to Benson, left the department in 2024 and submitted a sworn affidavit regarding conditions within the office.
Wheeler stated under oath that discriminatory practices had become "custom policy and practice" at the Michigan Department of State. In her affidavit, Wheeler wrote: "I brought these matters to the attention of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Benson did not act to correct this situation, that is the reason I chose to leave MDOS."
Wheeler is not a plaintiff and is not seeking damages. She is a witness, under oath, from Benson's own senior staff.
A Walk in Selma
On March 8, 2026, less than two months after the four-employee lawsuit was filed, Benson traveled to Selma, Alabama for the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday. She posted publicly that she "joined Michigan lawmakers and thousands more to honor those who came before us to fight for a more just and fair world."
Unresolved Federal Settlement
The discrimination lawsuits are not the only unresolved legal matter facing Benson's office.
In February 2020, the Secretary of State's office was a party to a settlement agreement in Fowler v. Johnson (Case No. 4:17-cv-11441, Eastern District of Michigan). The case challenged the state's practice of suspending driver's licenses over unpaid child support without first determining whether the individual had the ability to pay.
The settlement, which also required approval from the Attorney General, the State Court Administrator, and the Michigan State Police Director, called for meaningful reforms by February 2021. Among the provisions, the state agreed to offer alternatives to suspension for those unable to pay and to add notices informing individuals of their right to request a hearing.
When the Michigan Capitol Press contacted the Secretary of State's office with questions about the current status of those reforms and the process by which ability-to-pay hearings are verified before license suspensions are processed, the office's communications staff declined to respond on the record.
Running for Governor
Benson filed over 30,000 petition signatures on April 17, 2026 to appear on the ballot for the Democratic gubernatorial primary. She faces Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson for the nomination.
Her campaign has centered on a promise of "transparent and accountable" leadership for the state of Michigan.