A federal grand jury has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 counts of financial crimes, alleging the civil rights organization secretly paid informants affiliated with extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan while hiding those payments from donors.

The indictment, announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at a news conference, includes six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured bank and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The alleged scheme occurred between 2014 and 2023.

According to the indictment, SPLC funneled more than $3 million to field sources affiliated with groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, the National Socialist Movement and the American Front. The organization allegedly used shell companies with bank accounts connected to fictitious entities to conceal the payments.

FBI Director Kash Patel said at the news conference that SPLC attempted to hide payments by opening bank accounts under false entity names. The organization has long tracked extremist groups through civil litigation and monitoring.

What the Right Is Saying

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at the news conference that the DOJ's investigation found SPLC had been "manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred" and then hiding those payments from donors.

The indictment alleges that donated money was being used to fund leaders and organizers of racist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nation and the National Alliance — organizations that SPLC has publicly opposed.

Blanche noted the investigation was "shut down" during the Biden administration before being revived during Trump's second term. He said it has "been going on for a long time."

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the FBI had "jettisoned all relationships with the Southern Poverty Law Center," citing the bureau's work on a forthcoming report on "anti-Christian bias." The Trump administration has faced pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill who have long criticized SPLC.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Emily Marks, who was nominated by President Trump in 2018.

What the Left Is Saying

SPLC leadership has rejected the charges as false allegations. Bryan Fair, interim chief executive of SPLC, said in a statement that the organization is "outraged by the false allegations" and called taking on violent hate and extremist groups "among the most dangerous work there is."

In a video statement earlier Tuesday, Fair said the organization was being "targeted" by the Trump administration. He emphasized that confidential sources had "risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the activities of our nation’s most radical and violent extremist groups" and provided information to the FBI that "saved lives."

Fair said SPLC was "unsurprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration," adding that they have "made no secret of who they want to protect and who they want to destroy." He stated the organization’s actions "will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the Civil Rights movement becomes a reality for all."

The organization, founded 55 years ago, has used civil lawsuits as a primary tool against white supremacist groups and other extremist organizations.

What the Numbers Show

The indictment contains 11 counts: six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured bank and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The alleged scheme involved more than $3 million in payments to field sources over a nine-year period from 2014 to 2023.

The case falls within the Middle District of Alabama, where Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson has led the office since 2024.

Blanche is under pressure to deliver legal wins against entities disfavored by President Trump, after former Attorney General Pam Bondi failed to secure convictions of Trump's political foes.

The Bottom Line

The indictment represents a significant legal and political challenge for one of the nation's most prominent civil rights organizations. SPLC maintains it operated legally and that its sources provided valuable intelligence to law enforcement.

The case is set to proceed in federal court in Alabama before a judge appointed by Trump. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for how civil society organizations interact with extremist groups and disclose their funding practices to donors.

SPLC has vowed to fight the charges, calling its work essential to combating domestic extremism. The organization plans to contest the allegations while continuing its broader mission of civil rights advocacy.