The U.S. Department of Justice has announced fraud charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights organization known for tracking extremist groups.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the SPLC is accused of secretly funding groups it opposes by paying informants who infiltrated them. The indictment includes charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors allege the SPLC funneled over $3 million from 2014 to 2023 to individuals associated with violent extremist groups, including the National Alliance and the Ku Klux Klan. One informant reportedly received over $1 million for infiltrating the National Alliance and stealing documents. Another received over $270,000 for involvement in the 2017 Charlottesville white nationalist event.
The DOJ claims the SPLC misled donors by misrepresenting how funds would be used. The organization's president vowed to "vigorously defend ourselves."