WASHINGTON (AP) — The Southern Poverty Law Center was indicted Tuesday on federal fraud charges alleging it improperly raised millions of dollars to pay informants to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
The civil rights group faces charges including wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the case brought by the Justice Department in Alabama, where the organization is based.
The indictment followed the SPLC's revelation of an ongoing criminal investigation into its operations concerning informant payments, which were purportedly intended to monitor threats of violence and share findings with law enforcement agencies.
According to Blanche, between 2014 and 2023, SPLC paid at least $3 million to informants linked to Ku Klux Klan factions, the United Klans of America, the National Socialist Party of America, and other extremist organizations.
Blanche stated, The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred. He criticized the organization for its lack of transparency regarding donor communications about the informant program.
SPLC CEO Bryan Fair responded, emphasizing their commitment to defend their operations, explaining that the initiative was strictly intended for safety reasons and aimed at lifesaving intelligence gathering.
The SPLC has faced backlash from conservative factions, with claims that its practices unfairly malign right-wing groups. This indictment adds to ongoing concerns regarding the use of the Justice Department for politically motivated actions against opponents.
