SPLC charged with fraud for supposed payments to extremist groups

Federal Charges Against Southern Poverty Law Center

On Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” and asserted that the federal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) were not driven by political motivations.

The Alabama-based civil rights organization was indicted on federal fraud charges, accused of diverting millions to pay informants who infiltrated extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

“That indictment is available for public review. And if you think it’s political, I believe the opposite is actually true,” Blanche shared during the interview with Laura Ingraham.

He characterized the SPLC’s actions as “extremely egregious,” claiming the organization paid out $3 million between 2014 and 2023 to individuals within the United Klans of America and similar extremist groups.

The SPLC faces charges including wire fraud, making false statements to banks, and conspiracy to launder money. Blanche remarked that, contrary to its stated mission of fighting white supremacy, the group appeared to be engaging with those it aimed to combat.

“The very entities this group was raising funds to oppose are the same entities they were financially involved with,” he noted.

Additionally, Blanche alleged that an informant funded by the SPLC played a role in initiating a violent KKK rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

Blanche maintained that the SPLC does not alert law enforcement when they fund informants linked to extremist groups.

In response to the charges, interim CEO Brian Fair defended the SPLC’s methods, stating they previously employed confidential informants to gather credible information about violent groups.

Blanche countered this, emphasizing a lack of evidence that the informants shared insights with law enforcement. In a video address, Fair described the charges as an attack by the Trump administration and expressed outrage over the “false allegations” from the Justice Department.

He affirmed the organization’s commitment to defending civil rights, despite the ongoing investigation and potential implications for democracy. Fair stated that they would “vigorously protect ourselves, our staff, and our work.”