Fact Check Questions Million-Dollar Profit Claims in Attack Ad Against Gubernatorial Candidate’s Husband
A fact check examines claims made in a Republican attack ad suggesting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson's husband could profit millions from a controversial data center development in Saline Township, Michigan. While the ad cites a large potential commission figure,…
Grand Rapids Kalamazoo Battle Creek, MI, September 18, 2026 — A recent fact check has scrutinized claims made within a Republican attack advertisement targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson. The ad alleged that Benson’s husband stood to profit millions of dollars from a contentious data center development project located in Saline Township, Michigan.
The advertisement cited a figure representing a significant potential commission. However, an analysis of these claims has found them to be unsubstantiated. The husband’s employer has reportedly stated that he received no commission directly related to this specific data center project. Furthermore, the employer indicated that the husband is no longer involved in working on initiatives within Michigan.
While the fact check acknowledged that the husband did receive a substantial salary from his employer for work that encompassed involvement with the data center development, the assertion that he would personally profit millions from the project has been called into question.
The full details regarding the extent of the husband’s compensation and the specific nature of his involvement with his employer’s projects were not fully detailed in the summary provided for this report. The exact commission figure mentioned in the attack ad was also not specified in the summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Matt Mencarini on bridgemi.com, see more information here.
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