The US Justice Department has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging the civil rights group concealed payments of at least $3 million to informants who infiltrated hate groups. The 11-count indictment, returned by a grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, charges the SPLC with bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.
The Justice Department alleges that the SPLC's payments funded hate groups and misled donors, with the money disguised through fictitious accounts. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the SPLC of using 'sham' accounts and 'fictitious companies' to funnel more than $3 million between 2014 and 2023 to at least eight individuals inside groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the National Socialist Movement. According to Blanche, the source of the money was disguised through accounts associated with fictitious businesses. The indictment marks a significant escalation in the federal government's scrutiny of the organization, which has long been a target of conservative criticism.
One of the greatest political scams in American History.
SPLC Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair confirmed the criminal investigation and defended the informant program, stating that informants helped save lives and shared intelligence with the FBI. Fair said the organization is outraged by what it calls false allegations and that the program saved lives. He explained that the SPLC began paying informants to protect staff and gather intelligence on hate groups after its headquarters was firebombed in 1983. Fair also claimed that the federal government has been weaponized to dismantle the rights of vulnerable people and organizations like the SPLC.
President Trump called the SPLC 'one of the greatest political scams in American History' and suggested the indictment could invalidate the 2020 presidential election. FBI Director Kash Patel said, 'Money never lies. And they got caught.' The comments from Trump and Patel reflect the administration's aggressive posture toward the SPLC, which has been a frequent target of conservative activists.
Money never lies. And they got caught.
Civil rights leaders held calls to coordinate support for the SPLC, according to multiple reports. A coalition of over 100 activist groups published a letter vowing solidarity with groups 'unjustly targeted' by the federal government. The outpouring of support underscores the SPLC's standing within the civil rights community, even as it faces legal jeopardy.
The SPLC was founded in 1971 by Morris Dees and Joe Levin and has grown into one of the most prominent civil rights organizations in the United States. According to multiple reports, its endowment had just under $732 million. The SPLC's informant program was previously used to infiltrate extremist groups and share information with law enforcement. However, an SPLC spokesperson confirmed that the organization has since abandoned the practice of paying infiltrators.
The Justice Department investigation began during a previous administration and was closed during Joe Biden's presidency, according to Todd Blanche. The exact timeline of the investigation and the reasons for its closure remain unclear. The indictment raises questions about the specific evidence the DOJ has to support the allegation that SPLC payments funded hate groups, as well as how much of the SPLC's endowment was used for the informant program. The legal basis for Trump's claim that the indictment could invalidate the 2020 election is also uncertain.