Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty to federal fraud charges related to informant payments
The Southern Poverty Law Center was arraigned in federal court in Montgomery, Alabama on charges of fraud and money laundering related to its use of paid informants within extremist groups between 2014 and 2023. The organization pleaded not guilty to 11 counts including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with prosecutors alleging the SPLC misled donors about how over $3 million in contributions were used. SPLC leadership defended the informant program as necessary for gathering intelligence and preventing violence, while Alabama's attorney general separately announced a civil investigation into the organization's fundraising practices.
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Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
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“SPLC pleads not guilty in fraud case brought by Trump administration” · The Hill, PBS NewsHour