Michigan governor-elect appoints National of Islam leader to serve on transition council

Michigan Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson appointed Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, a Nation of Islam leader, to serve on her 15-member transition council. 

Muhammad announced his appointment on Facebook, saying that "with a Democratic trifecta, the opportunity to deliver resources and opportunities are increased." 

The Benton Harbor mayor has a history of statements and associations that have drawn criticism from Jewish organizations. He is a "student minister" in the Nation of Islam, and he has repeatedly defended its leader, Louis Farrakhan, who has compared Jews to "termites," the Washington Free Beacon reported. 

He has also written about what he described as "the ongoing Jewish and Gentile Kristallnacht against Black Muslim businesses," a reference to a 1938 state-sponsored riot in Nazi Germany that destroyed over 1,400 synagogues and other Jewish sites. 

Benson defeated Republican John James on Tuesday, winning with 54.6% of the vote, compared to James' 43.7%. The transition council will help Benson prepare to take office and establish her administration.