The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center alleging SPLC, in part, raised funds and made payments to, and in support of, undercover informants within hate groups.
Reaction from nonprofit sector leaders in defense of the SPLC was swift.
The indictment, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the middle District of Alabama Northern Division, includes six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a federally insured bank and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The DoJ is seeking forfeiture of “any property, real or personal, which represents or is traceable to the gross receipts obtained, directly or indirectly, from the offenses…”
The DoJ alleges that between at least 2014 and 2023 “the SPLC received donation money under the auspices that the funds would be used to ‘dismantle’ violent extremist groups, this donation money was, instead, being used, in part, by the SPLC to pay leaders and others within the same violent extremist groups. That money was then used for the benefit of the individuals as well as the violent extremist groups.”
In a video statement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25dlBorkAy4&t=2s), SPLC Interim CEO and President Bryan Fair said, in part, “We are… unsurprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration. They have made no secret of who they want to protect and who they want to destroy. For example, in October, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau would sever its ties with the SPLC. And in December, House Republicans held a hearing to accuse us of being partisan and profitable.”
Fair continued: “The latest threat is the most serious. … A criminal investigation and possible charges against the SPLC or some of our employees…the focus appears to be on the SPLC’s prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups. This use of informants was necessary because we are no stranger to threats of violence.”
“We frequently shared what we learned from informants with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI,” Fair said. “We did not, however, share our use of informants broadly with anyone, to protect the identity and safety of informants and their families. And while we no longer work with paid informants, we continue to take their safety seriously. These individuals risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the activities of our nation’s most radical and violent extremist groups….”
“There is no question that what we learned from informants saved lives,” Fair added “Today the federal government has been weaponized to dismantle the rights of our nation’s most vulnerable people. And any organization like ours that tries to stand in the breach…We will not be intimidated into silence or contrition, and we will not abandon our mission or the communities we serve… We will vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work.”
A statement from the DoJ that accompanied the indictment specifically mentioned Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan and the National Socialist Party of America as having individuals within their ranks who received funds. In all, more than $3 million was distributed, according to the indictment.
The DoJ further alleged that individuals receiving SPLC funds included specific undercover operators:
* One of whom was a member of the online leadership chat group that planned the 2017 “Unite the Right” event in Charlottesville, Virginia and who made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event:
* One of whom was affiliated with the National Alliance, including in fundraising capacities, and who unlawfully entered into the headquarters of another “violent extremist group” and stole 25 boxes of documents;
* Several of whom held leadership positions within a number of extremist groups.
The DoJ further alleged the SPLC opened a series of accounts at various banks to facilitate payments to these and other individuals. In doing so, SPLC leaders knowingly made false statements on applications to a federally insured financial institution.
“The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked. This Department of Justice will hold the SPLC and every other fraudulent organization operating with the same deceptive playbook accountable. No entity is above the law.”
“The SPLC allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public,” FBI Director Kash Patel said via the statement. “They lied to their donors, vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups, and actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups – even utilizing the funds to have these groups facilitate the commission of state and federal crimes. That is illegal – and this is an ongoing investigation against all individuals involved.”
Various entities within the nonprofit community offered immediate comments in support of the SPLC.
“The investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center is yet another example of the Trump administration’s extreme attempts to silence its critics,” American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said via a statement. “This administration’s continued weaponization of the Justice Department to target organizations speaking out against its agenda is anti-American behavior harkening back to the McCarthy era.
“The ACLU stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Romero continued. “The SPLC’s work fighting hate, racism, and injustice in the American South has played a critical role in strengthening the civil rights of millions of Americans. While the Trump administration may not agree with the SPLC’s civil rights mission or work, its efforts to target the organization are fundamentally wrong.
“The Trump administration’s attack against the Southern Poverty Law Center is a direct threat to the values that make America great. In this time of unprecedented peril for our democracy, we urge all Americans of good conscience to join us as we stand in support of the Southern Poverty Law Center.”
Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, said via a statement: “The administration’s latest targeting of the Southern Poverty Law Center marks another step in a progression of dangerous abuses of executive power and another direct attack on the nonprofit sector. … This is a deliberate attempt to silence dissent by distorting efforts to combat violent extremism.
“When a president and their administration vilify civil rights and other nonprofit organizations, they erode some of the very institutions that sustain our democracy and civil society,” Yentel continued. “This and other baseless criminal and civil investigations are blatant attempts to silence organizations and individuals with whom the administration disagrees.”
Yentel continued: “The Southern Poverty Law Center is a vital organization that works to protect communities and the country from violent extremism.” Yentel said. “Efforts to intimidate or silence the organization are a blatant affront to free speech and a troubling misuse of federal authority.
“The National Council of Nonprofits strongly condemns this weaponization of government and stands firmly with nonprofit organizations facing politically motivated attacks. We will not waver in our commitment to protect and strengthen the nonprofit sector and the communities it serves,” Yentel concluded.
“Time and again, this administration has demonstrated its eagerness to stand on the wrong side of history,” Rachel Rossi, president of the Alliance for Justice, said via a statement. “First, we saw Trump pardon January 6 insurrectionists and then try to paint anyone anti-fascist as a ‘terrorist,’ and now, he’s directly attacking an organization that works to resist hate and extremism. What conclusion can be drawn other than that Trump and his administration are on the side of fascism, hate, and extremism?
“Nonprofits are a vital part of our democracy, working to protect peoples’ rights, deliver critical services, help people participate in democracy, and make our communities safer,” Rossi said. “Nonprofits represent the voice of the people. Threats to silence them threaten us all.”
Rossi continued: “As a former DOJ senior official, I have deep respect for the duty of the DOJ to protect the American people and administer justice fairly,” Rossi continued. Instead, Trump has conscripted the DOJ to advance his extremist agenda. We stand with the SPLC and their important work to oppose hate, and we deplore such obviously corrupt efforts to weaponize the DOJ and target valiant nonprofits with intimidation — or worse. This is the latest alarm in a cacophony of alarms that our democracy is failing, and Congress must act to protect these organizations.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued an unsigned statement that read: “CAIR stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has spent decades successfully advancing civil rights and confronting hate. At a time when minority communities across our nation continue to face discrimination, extremist violence and threats to their fundamental rights, the work of civil rights organizations like the SPLC is essential to the health of our democracy, which is why it has been targeted by voices of hate for years.
“This reported federal targeting of SPLC appears to be a transparently political attack on the rule of law meant to undermine the vital role civil rights groups play in countering hate groups. This is unacceptable and must not stand.
“We encourage all Americans and elected officials to stand in solidarity with the SPLC and all other organizations dedicated to the protection of civil rights.”
Leaders within at least one nonprofit supported the Department of Justice’s actions. “The indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center is a welcome development, especially if it marks the beginning of the end of its long pattern of misrepresentation and harm,” Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council said via a statement. The SPLC has designated the Family Research Council a hate group (https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/family-research-council/) based on the Family Research Council’s statements regarding the LGBTQ community and other anti-LGBTQ actions.
“For years, the SPLC has used its platform to label and target organizations with whom it disagrees, often blurring the line between legitimate concern and ideological attack. That kind of reckless characterization doesn’t just damage reputations, it has put lives at risk,” according to the statement.
“Our own organization, Family Research Council, experienced this firsthand when a gunman entered our building over a decade ago, citing SPLC’s materials,” Perkins continued within the statement. “We’ve talked with the FBI to help them understand how these designations have real-world consequences. That’s why this moment matters. Accountability should not stop with individual convictions. If wrongdoing is proven, justice should include restitution to those harmed. With over $750 million in their endowment which includes offshore accounts, the SPLC should be held responsible not only for what was done, but for the damage left behind.”
