The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has long branded itself as a watchdog against extremism, frequently labeling organizations across the political and cultural spectrum as “hate groups.” But now, according to allegations laid out in a new federal indictment and statements from Trump administration officials, the organization is facing accusations of something far more serious: allegedly funneling money to individuals tied to extremist organizations it publicly condemned.
The Department of Justice unveiled an 11-count indictment on Tuesday accusing the SPLC of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described a scheme in which more than $3 million was allegedly directed to eight individuals over nearly a decade, from 2014 through 2023.
Among those named in the allegations are individuals reportedly linked to the Ku Klux Klan, the National Socialist Movement, Aryan Nations, and the United Klans of America. One recipient alone is said to have collected more than $270,000 and was allegedly associated with leadership tied to the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where violence resulted in a fatality.
Rather than transferring funds directly, prosecutors allege the SPLC used a network of five shell companies to disguise the money trail. Those entities—Center Investigative Agency, Fox Photography, North West Technologies, Tech Writers Group, and Rare Books Warehouse—are described in the indictment as having no real employees or legitimate commercial operations.
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