{"id":2593339,"date":"2026-04-21T14:06:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-doj-investigating-southern-poverty-law-center-for-spying-on-the-conservative-groups-it-slanders\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:08:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:08:58","slug":"report-doj-investigating-southern-poverty-law-center-for-spying-on-the-conservative-groups-it-slanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-doj-investigating-southern-poverty-law-center-for-spying-on-the-conservative-groups-it-slanders\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Probing SPLC Infiltration Scheme Against Conservative Orgs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freport-doj-investigating-southern-poverty-law-center-for-spying-on-the-conservative-groups-it-slanders%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2593339&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Federalist report claims that the Department of Justice is investigating the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) over its use of paid confidential informants to infiltrate non-violent conservative groups labeled as extremist. The Associated Press later disclosed that SPLC leadership indicated the matter is a federal criminal investigation. SPLC CEO bryan Fair defended the practise, saying the association has long paid informants to infiltrate \u201cextremist groups\u201d to gather data on their activities for local and federal law enforcement, noting the aim was to monitor threats and protect informants\u2019 safety, with details kept quiet to protect them. The piece suggests this infiltration effort dates back to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-parents-on-new-social-studies-curriculum-our-children-cannot-escape-leftist-messaging\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Parents On New Social Studies Curriculum: \u2018Our Children Cannot Escape Leftist Messaging\u2019\">civil rights era<\/a>, framing it as a justification for surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist links a 2012 incident in which a man attempted to attack the family Research Council, arguing the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >shooter targeted anti-gay organizations designated<\/a> by the SPLC and found FRC via the SPLC\u2019s hate map. It also contends the SPLC has targeted other conservative groups, including Turning Point USA (TPUSA), accusing TPUSA of promoting white Christian supremacy. The article cites SPLC\u2019s 2024 year in Hate and Extremism describing TPUSA as a \u201cCase Study of the Hard Right in 2024,\u201d and a may 2025 SPLC piece by Rachael Fugardi alleging TPUSA exploits fear to enforce hierarchies. The piece notes SPLC\u2019s designation of Alliance Defending Freedom as a designated hate group and mentions that FBI Director Kash Patel severed ties with the SPLC,accusing it of becoming a partisan smear machine. The author is Shawn fleetwood, a staff writer for The Federalist.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/southern-poverty-law-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/splc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SPLC<\/a>) over its &ldquo;use of paid informants&rdquo; to infiltrate non-violent conservative-leaning organizations it deems to be &ldquo;extremist.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press (AP) <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/southern-poverty-law-center-criminal-investigation-db7fdcf9baa0d1b24b8f1e1f2cebc0be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disclosed<\/a> the explosive development on Tuesday, when it reported comments from the leftist group&rsquo;s leadership indicating that &ldquo;it&rsquo;s the subject of a criminal investigation&rdquo; by federal officials. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Although we don&rsquo;t know all the details, the focus appears to be on the SPLC&rsquo;s prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups,&rdquo; SPLC CEO Bryan Fair said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>As described by the AP, Fair said that the SPLC &ldquo;previously paid informants to infiltrate&rdquo; what he characterized as &ldquo;extremist groups&rdquo; to &ldquo;gather information on their activities&rdquo; and pass it on to &ldquo;local and federal law enforcement.&rdquo; He further contended that this infiltration program was used to &ldquo;monitor&rdquo; so-called &ldquo;threats of violence,&rdquo; and that details about its operations were &ldquo;kept quiet to protect the safety of informants,&rdquo; according to the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Fair seemingly indicated that the SPLC had been using informants since the aftermath of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-snaps-at-civil-rights-leaders-in-leaked-call\/\" title=\"Biden Snaps at Civil Rights Leaders in Leaked Call\">civil rights movement<\/a>, and attempted to justify the surveillance campaign by referencing the violence of that era. He claimed the group has &ldquo;saved lives,&rdquo; but in reality its breathless smear campaign against conservative groups has gotten at least one person shot.<\/p>\n<p>As The Federalist&rsquo;s Jordan Boyd previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/08\/24\/rnc-denounces-splc-as-radical-organization-that-inspired-shooting-at-conservative-organization-eight-years-ago\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, &ldquo;On August 15, 2012, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefdrlst.wpengine.com\/2017\/08\/15\/5-year-frc-shooting-anniversary-offers-study-presidential-reactions-hate-crimes\/\">man<\/a>&nbsp;armed with a 9mm handgun, 50 rounds of ammunition, and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches, arrived at the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/family-research-council\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Family Research Council<\/a>, a notably conservative group, headquarters in Washington with the intent to &lsquo;kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in victims&rsquo; faces, and kill the guard.&rsquo;&rdquo; While the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/virginia-man-sentenced-25-years-prison-shooting-security-guard-family-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attempted killer<\/a> &mdash; who shot the group&rsquo;s security guard &mdash; was subdued and nobody died, he confessed to law enforcement &ldquo;that he was targeting anti-gay organizations as designated by the SPLC.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The shooter reportedly found the FRC on the SPLC&rsquo;s online&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/hate-map?state=DC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hate map<\/a>&nbsp;which claims that the council&rsquo;s &lsquo;anti-LGBTQ&rsquo; ideology is the reason for its designation as a hate group and began forming his plan,&rdquo; Boyd wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The FRC is hardly the only conservative-leaning organization the SPLC has <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/12\/after-charlie-kirks-murder-there-can-be-no-more-both-sides-ism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">targeted<\/a> with its &ldquo;extremist&rdquo; smear campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Months before his assassination, allegedly at the hands of a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/17\/abc-news-matt-gutman-fabricates-quote-to-make-alleged-kirk-assassin-look-more-touching-human\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;trans&rdquo;-loving lunatic<\/a>, the SPLC accused Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk&rsquo;s group of flirting with so-called &ldquo;white Christian supremacy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/resources\/reports\/turning-point-usa-case-study-hard-right-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">May 2025 SPLC article<\/a>, author Rachael Fugardi claimed that &ldquo;Turning Point USA&rsquo;s primary strategy is sowing and exploiting fear that white Christian supremacy is under attack by nefarious actors, including immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights activists.&rdquo; She further contended that TPUSA is seeking to &ldquo;sow fear and division to enforce social hierarchies rooted in supremacism,&rdquo; which she said &ldquo;is emblematic of the hard right&rsquo;s broader political project to destroy our foundational democratic principles and institutions.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The SPLC&rsquo;s &ldquo;Year in Hate and Extremism 2024&rdquo; report described TPUSA as a &ldquo;Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024,&rdquo; according to the AP. <\/p>\n<p><strong>[READ:[READ:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/20\/splc-lead-attorney-apparently-participated-in-unlawful-capitol-anti-israel-protest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SPLC Lead Attorney Apparently Participated In Unlawful Capitol Anti-Israel Protest<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>SPLC has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/resources\/extremist-files\/alliance-defending-freedom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deployed<\/a> its &ldquo;designated hate group&rdquo; smear against Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal organization whose work includes <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/09\/at-scotus-female-athletes-gear-up-to-protect-womens-sports-from-leftists-trans-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">protecting<\/a> women&rsquo;s sports from trans-identifying men and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/11\/21\/pro-life-center-takes-its-fight-against-democrat-lawfare-to-the-supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">defending<\/a> pro-life centers against Democrat lawfare.<\/p>\n<p>FBI Director Kash Patel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/fbi-cuts-ties-leftist-group-put-turning-point-usa-its-hate-map-before-kirk-assassination\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severed<\/a> the federal agency&rsquo;s ties with the SPLC last year. The director noted that the far-left group &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-and-online-influencers-help-drive-fbi-split-with-splc-and-adl\/\" title=\"Elon Musk and online influencers help drive FBI split with ... and ADL\">long ago abandoned civil rights work<\/a> and turned into a partisan smear machine.&rdquo;  <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ probes SPLC over informants infiltrating groups<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2593340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPLC.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[78249,7076,78248,8327,15303],"class_list":["post-2593339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-conservative-organizations","tag-doj","tag-infiltration-scheme","tag-investigations","tag-splc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SPLC.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2593339"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2593343,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593339\/revisions\/2593343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2593340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2593339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2593339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2593339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}