Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY—The Southern Poverty Law Center is facing a federal criminal investigation tied to its past use of paid informants to monitor extremist groups, according to multiple reports released Tuesday.
The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Justice, is examining whether the organization’s informant program and related financial practices complied with federal law. Authorities are reviewing how funds were used and whether donors were fully informed about how contributions supported those efforts. The probe is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking alongside FBI Director Kash Patel during a news conference, said the organization paid at least eight individuals between 2014 and 2023, including people affiliated with violent extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi organizations. According to Blanche, those payments totaled at least $3 million.
“The SPLC was not dismantling the groups,” Blanche said. “It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”
Patel echoed those concerns, alleging that funds raised through the organization’s donor network were used to pay leaders within extremist groups.
“This is a serious and egregious violation of a group that purported to dismantle violent extremist groups, but in turn, actually only fueled the hatred,” Patel said.
Leaders with the Southern Poverty Law Center have pushed back against the allegations. SPLC President Margaret Huang Fair accused the administration of misusing federal authority in its actions.
“Today, the federal government has been weaponized to dismantle the rights of our nation’s most vulnerable people, and any organization like ours that stands in the breach,” Fair said.
Founded in 1971 to combat white supremacist groups, the organization’s work extends beyond tracking hate groups and includes litigation related to voting rights and prisoner rights. The SPLC has also been a frequent critic of the Trump administration, previously arguing that members of the president’s Cabinet have used their authority to roll back civil rights protections.
The investigation comes amid broader political scrutiny of the organization. During a December congressional hearing, House Republicans accused the group of operating in a partisan manner while generating significant revenue. In October, Patel announced the FBI had severed ties with the nonprofit, alleging it had moved away from its original civil rights mission.
The case remains ongoing, and additional details are expected as federal authorities continue their review.
