SPLC pleads not guilty in fraud case brought by Trump administration
The civil rights group denies defrauding donors and says payments funded confidential informants who monitored extremist threats and shared information with federal agents.
- The Southern Poverty Law Center entered a not guilty plea Thursday in Montgomery, Alabama, to 11 charges including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy tied to its former informant program.
- Prosecutors allege the SPLC defrauded donors by failing to disclose payments to informants inside extremist groups, claiming the organization spent at least $3 million on the practice over 20 years.
- Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair rejected the allegations, calling the charges "provably wrong" and rooted in "inaccurate facts and a misapplication of law," while defense attorney Adde Lowell suggested "vindictive prosecution."
- Defense attorney Abbe Lowell warned that a potential second indictment could delay the trial currently expected in the fall, while Attorney Kevin Davidson dismissed claims the prosecution is vindictive.
- Supporters argue the Trump administration is targeting the SPLC for its civil rights work, though critics including FBI Director Kash Patel have condemned the group's reports on "hate and extremism.
64 Articles
64 Articles
SPLC pleads not guilty as CEO vows to fight fraud charges
The Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal fraud and money laundering charges tied to its use of paid informants within extremist groups, with the organization vowing to aggressively fight the case. The SPLC was arraigned Thursday afternoon in federal court in Montgomery, Alabama, where federal prosecutors accused the group of improperly using more than $3 million in donor funds to pay informants connected to organiza…
SPLC Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Fraud Case
The Southern Poverty Law Center entered a not guilty plea Thursday in a federal court in Alabama to charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to its former informant program. A federal grand jury last month returned an 11-count indictment against the Montgomery-based civil rights group. Interim...
SPLC Pleads Not Guilty to Fradulently Funding Extremism.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has officially pleaded not guilty after an 11-count indictment by the Department of Justice.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Southern Poverty Law Center has pleaded not guilty to alleged fraud and money laundering following an indictment by the Department of Justice (DOJ). DETAIL: In late April, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on 11 counts spanning alleged frau…
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty in federal fraud case
The Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty on Thursday to all charges presented by the federal government. The 11-count indictment, filed last month, accuses the organization of wire fraud in connection to a program in which it paid informants to infiltrate and monitor rightwing extremist groups. “The charges against the SPLC are provably...
Southern Poverty Law Center Head Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges
The head of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) pleaded not guilty on behalf of the group on May 7 in an Alabama courtroom to federal fraud charges accusing the group of defrauding donors and secretly paying millions of dollars to informants in various extremist groups. Bryan Fair, SPLC’s interim president and CEO, appeared at a federal court in Montgomery, representing the group. Last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a g…
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