A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on 11 counts including wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
According to the indictment, federal prosecutors allege the SPLC diverted more than $3 million in donor funds between 2014 and 2023 to individuals associated with extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and National Socialist Party of America. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama also filed civil forfeiture actions seeking to recover proceeds tied to the alleged scheme.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the organization is accused of deceiving donors about how contributions would be used, while FBI Director Kash Patel described the case as a large-scale fraud operation that allegedly enriched individuals and facilitated criminal activity.
The SPLC, a nonprofit headquartered in Montgomery, has long described its mission as combating hate and advancing civil rights. Prosecutors allege that, beginning decades ago, the organization developed a covert network involving individuals linked to extremist groups, with some payments allegedly made through accounts tied to fictitious entities to conceal the source and purpose of funds.
Officials say the scheme relied on misrepresentations to donors, who believed their contributions were supporting efforts to dismantle extremist organizations. Investigators from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation division led the case.
Authorities emphasized that the charges are allegations, and the SPLC and any individuals involved are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. A conviction could result in forfeiture of financial gains tied to the alleged activities.
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