Brian Fair, the acting CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), stated in a video on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is apparently launching an investigation into the organization, possibly leading to criminal charges.
“We don’t have all the details, but the investigation seems to center on the SPLC’s previous use of paid confidential informants to gather information about very violent groups,” Fair explained in a video shared on the group’s YouTube channel.
The SPLC, a nonprofit, has faced criticism recently regarding accusations of political bias. In October, FBI Director Kash Patel severed ties with Turning Point USA, labeling it a hate group.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center abandoned its civil rights mission long ago and turned into a partisan smear machine,” Patel remarked in a post on X on October 3.
He also criticized the SPLC’s “hate map,” claiming it has been used to tarnish mainstream America and even incite violence. “Given their poor record, they’re unfit for any partnership with the FBI,” he added.
Fair interpreted the DOJ’s actions as indicative of a targeted effort by the Trump administration. He referenced a December public hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, titled “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Impact on Federal Civil Rights Policy.”
Before Patel cut ties, Fair argued, the SPLC was collaborating with federal law enforcement, including the FBI, on a tip-off program that seems to be at the heart of this investigation.
“We often shared information we gathered from our informants with local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. However, to safeguard the identities and safety of our informants and their families, we didn’t broadly disclose our use of informants,” he noted.
Fair mentioned that the SPLC no longer utilizes paid informants.
In May 2025, the SPLC released an analysis critiquing Turning Point USA, referring to it as a hate group and alleging it is a “well-funded far-right organization” with connections to extremists. The report claimed its main strategy is to exploit fears surrounding white Christian supremacy against supposed threats from immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and civil rights activists.
On the day before Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk was killed, the SPLC sent out a newsletter, which Kirk’s show’s producer Andrew Corbett described as an assault.
Corbett raised concerns over whether that newsletter played a role in Kirk’s death. “Did it motivate the assassin?” he questioned in an October post on X.
“We might never find out, but it’s clear that an atmosphere of extremist propaganda had an effect. The SPLC, with almost $1 billion in reserves and based in Alabama, faces serious accusations of corruption, donor fraud, union-busting, and covering up sexual assault by senior leaders. An investigation is warranted and should happen right away,” Corbett concluded.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact both the SPLC and the DOJ for comments, but did not receive immediate responses.
