Key facts
- The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges.
- The charges allege the SPLC defrauded donors by not disclosing funds used to pay informants within extremist groups.
- A superseding indictment details the charges, first announced in April.
- Prosecutors claim $4.1 million in donations were used to pay informants, recruit members, and purchase materials for extremist groups.
- The SPLC denies wrongdoing and alleges the Justice Department is conducting a vindictive prosecution.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal fraud charges, accused of misleading donors by failing to disclose that some funds were used to pay informants within extremist organizations. Attorney Abbe Lowell entered the plea on behalf of the SPLC to a superseding indictment that elaborates on charges initially revealed in April.
The Justice Department alleges the SPLC funded extremist groups while publicly stating it aimed to dismantle them. The organization maintains its informant program provided critical intelligence to law enforcement and denies any wrongdoing. The SPLC has accused the Justice Department of pursuing a vindictive prosecution in retaliation against perceived political enemies of President Donald Trump.
The superseding indictment specifies that $4.1 million in donations were allegedly used to pay informants within groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and white nationalist organizations. Prosecutors also claim some funds were used for recruiting new members and purchasing materials for extremist ceremonies. Informants included individuals who initially sought the SPLC's assistance to leave these organizations but were subsequently offered monthly payments and expense reimbursements.
The arraignment was conducted remotely, and the case is slated for trial in October.