Senator Joni Ernst alleged that officials in former President Joe Biden's Small Business Administration used the code word "Benghazi" in internal emails to conceal discussions about $90 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans provided to Planned Parenthood.

Ernst, a Republican from Iowa who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, disclosed the findings in a press release on Monday and sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting a criminal investigation. She argued the tactic violated the Federal Records Act and potentially 18 U.S.C. § 2071, which prohibits concealing federal records and carries penalties of up to three years in prison.

Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the Oversight Project showed emails from April 2021 where SBA General Counsel Peggy Hamilton wrote to Chief of Staff Antwaun Griffin: "Can I schedule a meeting so we can make a decision on Benghazi (Planned Parenthood)?" Griffin replied, "Yes, let’s talk Benghazi." One email thread bore the subject line "Benghazi (PPP/PPH) Decisions," and SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman scheduled a Microsoft Teams meeting under the same name.

The emails indicated White House involvement, with one noting the need to inform the White House as decisions were made on nonprofit PPP applicants' eligibility based on affiliations. Ernst stated that recipients knew "Benghazi" referred to Planned Parenthood, not the 2012 Libya attack, yet continued the practice amid Republican inquiries.

Planned Parenthood and 38 affiliates received over $80 million in PPP loans in 2020 after self-certifying as small businesses, despite exceeding the 500-employee threshold and affiliation rules under the CARES Act. The SBA later deemed them ineligible and demanded repayment, but Biden officials strategized loan forgiveness, leading to approximately $90 million disbursed and forgiven, including interest.

In a May 2021 hearing, Senator Rand Paul questioned Guzman about $17 million in post-ineligibility funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates; two days later, officials revived the "Benghazi" email chain to discuss forgiveness. Ernst has pursued oversight for years, previously exposing 34 forgiven loans after SBA stonewalling.

"What does Benghazi have to do with Planned Parenthood?" Ernst asked. "It appears the Biden SBA used it as a codename to hide the $90 million in taxpayer funds they gifted to the abortion provider." Neither the SBA, Planned Parenthood, Hamilton, nor Griffin responded to requests for comment by Tuesday.

Current SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler initiated a review in January 2026 of over $88 million in Planned Parenthood PPP loans, requiring documentation or disqualification.