New DOJ Indictment Alleges Southern Poverty Law Center Funds Went to Hoods and Cross Burnings A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging that $4.1 million in donor funds paid informants who purchased materials for Ku Klux Klan robes and cross burnings. The expanded charges build on an earlier indictment and focus on the SPLC’s alleged failure to disclose these payments to donors and banks, while the organization maintains its innocence. Previous investigations by the FBI and IRS did not result in charges, and the SPLC argues the current case may be politically motivated.

• A superseding indictment alleges the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) paid $4.1 million in donor funds to informants who purchased materials for Ku Klux Klan (KKK) robes and cross burnings.
• The charges expand on an earlier indictment and focus on the alleged non-disclosure of these payments to donors and banks.
• The SPLC has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations.
• The indictment details payments to informants embedded in various extremist groups, including the KKK and the National Socialist Movement.
• Previous investigations by the FBI and IRS into the SPLC’s informant program did not result in charges.
• The SPLC argues the current case may be politically motivated, citing a Supreme Court ruling that impacted the wording of the original indictment.
• The indictment does not provide specific examples of informants using funds to commit crimes, which legal experts suggest could complicate conviction.
• The SPLC claims its informant program has yielded concrete law enforcement results, including tips that led to arrests and convictions.