Story perspectives

11-Count Indictment Accuses SPLC of $3M Fraud

4/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Todd Blanche announced an 11-count indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center for wire, bank and money-laundering fraud.
The indictment says SPLC paid >$3 million to hate-group informants, including $1 million to a National Alliance source and $270,000 to a Unite the Right organizer, hiding the money through fictitious accounts.
Legal analysts warn the indictment may have defects that could cause dismissal, prompting civil-rights groups and the ACLU to call it an attack.

History

Historical Context

In 1956 the FBI launched COINTELPRO, a covert counter-intelligence program that for 15 years targeted groups such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the NAACP, comprising about 0.2 % of the bureau’s workload. The program was officially ended in 1971, and the current 11-count indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center echoes that legacy by alleging misuse of funds for extremist informants.

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Story summary

Todd Blanche announced an 11-count indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center for wire, bank and money-laundering fraud.
The indictment says SPLC paid >$3 million to hate-group informants, including $1 million to a National Alliance source and $270,000 to a Unite the Right organizer, hiding the money through fictitious accounts.
Legal analysts warn the indictment may have defects that could cause dismissal, prompting civil-rights groups and the ACLU to call it an attack.

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