McMorrow campaign fundraiser apologizes for post lionizing grandfather who fought for Nazis

A since-deleted social media post from attorney Kelly Neumann — a top Democratic donor and the financial co-chair to Mallory McMorrow’s U.S. Senate campaign — is facing scrutiny after it appeared to lionize her grandfather, who fought for Nazi Germany during World War II.

Neumann on Monday issued a public apology for the post, saying it was not her intention to hurt or offend anyone. She also blamed the campaign of U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens for amplifying the post as an attack against McMorrow, a state senator from Royal Oak and one of her chief rivals in the race.

The information and a photo of her grandfather, Albert Neumann, was posted to Facebook on Nov. 11, 2024, which is honored as Veterans Day in the U.S. Multiple conservative-leaning outlets reported the existence of the post in January, and Neumann has deleted the post from her social media page.

“Happy Veterans Day to all my family and friends who serve/served! Without you, America would not be here today. Interesting story, I do not talk much about but my Grandfather, Albert Neumann was on the German side in WWI & WWII,” the post read. “He escaped to Brazil with my Father after Germany lost in WWII and then made their way to Detroit where they spoke no English and worked their way up to provide a stable life for their family. My grandfather was one of my best friends.”

Neumann went on to write that “he was one of the first people in my life that accepted me as gay when I was nervous and scared.”

“I’ll never forget him embracing me and loving me for who I am,” Neumann wrote. “His story is a true testament that people can change and love indeed can win.”

A message seeking comment from Neumann was not returned at the time of publication, but Neumann did issue an apology on Facebook after Michigan Advance published this story. She also noted that Stevens was using the post as an attack on her and McMorrow, despite the fact that Neumann helped raise $50,000 for Stevens at an event in March 2025.

“First off, I sincerely apologize to anyone who was hurt by post from years ago, as that was certainly never my intention. I only wished to offer a personal story about my grandfather who was the first person who accepted me for me,” Neumann wrote. “Let me make this crystal clear — rather than reach out to me with concerns after I made the post two years ago, Congresswoman Haley Stevens’ team actively accepted my financial support, welcoming the tens of thousands of dollars I raised for her –– and only recently publicly came forward to attack me and called me antisemitic, after I chose to endorse and help her political opponent.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kelly Neumann (@kellyneumannatty)

Neumann said that was “unacceptable and obviously hurtful, as I help and raise money for many candidates no matter what religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.”

“My history and commitment to justice speaks for itself.  Those who know me, know,” Neumann said.

Michigan Advance also sought comment from McMorrow’s campaign. Two campaign spokespeople did not respond when asked for a response, and whether Neumann would remain as the campaign’s finance co-chair.

Neumann is a high-powered personal injury and criminal defense attorney based in southeast Michigan and is the principal attorney for her namesake Neumann Law Group.

Federal Election Commission data shows that Neumann personally gave $104,131 to various Michigan candidates for Congress, the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, ActBlue, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell PAC, Mitten PAC, Great Lakes PAC, Michigan Victory Fund, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Among her donations were large checks for the campaign of former President Joe Biden, current Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel in his failed 2024 bid for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), and Whitmer’s sister Liz Gereghty, when she was seeking election to a U.S. House district in New York.

Neumann’s most recent contributions to a candidate were to McMorrow, giving a total of $5,000 to her U.S. Senate campaign in November 2025, close to Veterans Day that year.

Michigan campaign finance records also show that Neumann has given generously to the 2022 reelection campaigns of Whitmer for governor, and to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, now a candidate for governor, giving to Benson’s 2022 reelection bid and her 2026 gubernatorial campaign.

Neumann is also a noted friend of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who faced controversy in 2023 after it was alleged that Neumann paid an $8,000 hotel bill during a Caribbean trip, though Nessel refuted the claim, said she paid her own expenses, and stated that Neumann had no business or cases involving her office.

The story of Albert Neumann surfaced in January, more than a year after Kelly Neumann amplified it on her Facebook page, and some Michigan outlets did write about it at the time. The Daily Mail, on March 8, however, ran an update with a claim that Albert Neumann may have been a member of the Schutzstaffel, or the SS, the paramilitary arm of the Nazi Party and the leaders of Adolf Hitler’s secret police, which was primarily tasked with carrying out the mass genocide of Jews during the Holocaust.

Although the Daily Mail spoke with military historians, who analyzed the photo and concluded that Albert Neumann’s uniform bore a resemblance to the SS, it is more likely that Neumann’s grandfather was a high-ranking member of the German Wehrmacht, or its general armed forces.

Albert Neumann’s cap and collar insignia more closely resemble those of commissioned officers in the Wehrmacht, whose caps bore a wreathed crest above the brim, rather than those of SS members, whose brims displayed a Totenkopf skull emblem. Further, the two braided bands on Neumann’s collar indicate that he held one of the ranks designated for commissioned officers.

Either way, the optics for McMorrow’s campaign were less than ideal.

Neumann has since clarified that her grandfather was not in the SS, as the Daily Mail reported. She also blamed the Stevens campaign for making that allegation, which Neumann called defamatory.

“This is shameful and factually untrue, as confirmed by the German Army,” Neumann wrote. “Congresswoman should have done her due diligence before making such a false, harmful, and defamatory statement. To be clear, my grandfather was a german soldier, not a Nazi as the Congresswoman’s team suggested. Furthermore, Congresswoman’s false accusations of me celebrating an empire that I despise, is yet again defamatory and illegal.”

Neumann said she expected “more fidelity to the truth from someone who expects to represent us in the Senate — and was so willing to accept my financial support until I decided to support a different candidate.”

“I remain committed to championing equality and justice, and speaking the truth, as everyone should do, especially candidates running for U.S. Senate,” Neumann added.

Stevens spokesperson Arik Wolk acknowledged that Neumann has not directly donated to Stevens’ House campaigns over the years, nor to her ongoing bid for the Senate, and FEC records appear to back up that claim. 

There is plenty of photographic evidence of Stevens being chummy with Neumann, both at the fundraiser last year in March, which Neumann hosted, and other organizing events.

Wolk said the congresswoman has since denounced the post.

“Haley rejects antisemitism in all forms, and has spent her career standing up to and calling out hate,” Wolk said. “Had Haley seen the post celebrating Ms. Neumann’s grandfather’s service to the Nazi military, Ms. Neumann would not have hosted that event.”