On a recent episode of At the Core, I covered a major development that hasn’t gotten nearly the attention it deserves – the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A grand jury in Alabama returned an 11-count indictment charging the SPLC with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
This is the same organization that claims to fight extremism and dismantle hate groups.
But according to the indictment, they were doing the exact opposite.
Prosecutors allege the SPLC was paying individuals connected to extremist organizations – and then turning around and producing reports on the very activity they were tied to.
The indictment details millions of dollars allegedly paid to individuals affiliated with groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and others…and then highlighting the activity of those groups to generate more support and donations.
As I said on the show, you don’t get any more fraudulent than that for a nonprofit organization.
Now, these are allegations, and this case will play out in court. But this isn’t media speculation; this is a federal indictment brought by a grand jury.
And it raises serious questions about an organization that has spent years labeling others while presenting itself as the authority on extremism.
Listen to the full episode of At the Core here, and tune in to the second segment for our discussion on the SPLC indictment.
