Southern Poverty Law Center Charged in 11-Count Federal Indictment Alleging Wire Fraud
On April 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in Washington that a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama, had returned an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) with 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
The Department said the indictment alleges that between 2014 and 2023 the center secretly funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to individuals associated with violent extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations affiliates, while publicly claiming to fight those groups. It alleges the center paid through bank accounts held by fictitious entities and made false statements about the accounts. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama also filed two forfeiture actions.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation. The charges are allegations, and whether the center committed the offenses is for a court to decide.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于蒙哥马利的南方贫困法律中心总部（资料照片）。Nameofuser25 摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Southern Poverty Law Center headquarters in Montgomery (file photo). Photo by Nameofuser25, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
