“The SPLC was not dismantling these groups, it was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.
DOJ Indicts Southern Poverty Law Center on Federal Fraud Charges
April 21, 2026
A federal grand jury on April 21, 2026 returned an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, charging the civil rights nonprofit with 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 Justice Department alleges that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in donor funds to confidential informants associated with violent extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and the National Socialist Movement. Prosecutors say the organization used shell bank accounts under names like "Fox Photography" and "Rare Books Warehouse" to conceal the payments. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the SPLC was "manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose." The SPLC denied the allegations and vowed to defend itself, saying its informant program saved lives. Democrats characterized the indictment as politically motivated, while congressional Republicans backed the prosecution.
7 Statements
“That indictment is free for everybody to read, and if the takeaway is that that's political, I mean, I think the opposite is true.
“Nice headline. You left out 'SPLC was funding the Klan.' Propagandize much?
“The DOJ indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that has spent more than half a century fighting the Klan, tracking hate, and defending civil rights. Let's be clear about what's happening. This administration is using the full weight of federal prosecution to target an organization whose mission is rooting out violent extremism. This is part and parcel of Trump's assault on free speech, on nonprofits, and on anyone who dares to disagree with him. First it was lawfare against political opponents. Then it was revoking the tax status of universities. Now it's a federal indictment against one of the most historic civil rights organizations in America. The SPLC has saved lives. It will not be silenced — and neither will we.
“The SLPC is a hate group.
“The Trump administration is waging a vindictive campaign against the organizations that safeguard our democracy. Weaponizing the DOJ to indict long-standing watchdogs is a message: if you defend voting rights, fight white supremacy, or protect civil rights, you're next. This is an assault on the institutions that make freedom real for everyone. They will not succeed.
“Reminder that the Biden FBI was actively colluding with the SPLC to target traditional Catholics as domestic extremists. They also labeled organizations like the Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, and Moms for Liberty as hate groups as well. It turns out they were actively funding the 'hate' that they claimed to be fighting while targeting innocent conservatives.