{"id":2593544,"date":"2026-04-21T21:27:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T01:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T21:29:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T01:29:05","slug":"grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Jury Indicts SPLC For Fraudulent Payments To Racist Groups"},"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\">18<\/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%2Fgrand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups%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=2593544&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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/three-men-indicted-for-hate-crimes-in-death-of-ahmaud-arbery\/\" title=\"Three Men Indicted For Hate Crimes In Death Of Ahmaud Arbery\">federal grand jury indicted<\/a> the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on 11 counts, including wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-henry-cuellar-releases-statement-after-being-indicted-on-federal-charges\/\" title=\"Henry Cuellar, a Democrat, Issues Statement Post Federal Charges ...\">commit concealment money laundering<\/a>. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges SPLC operated a covert network since the 1980s to secretly funnel more than $3 million in donor funds to individuals connected with racist and extremist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, using bank accounts linked to fictitious entities and without donors\u2019 knowledge about how the money would be used. The indictment and a DOJ press release say the SPLC opened covert accounts and made false representations to disguise the true ownership and source of the funds, in order to continue the scheme. FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation collaborated on the probe, and the U.S.Attorney\u2019s Office for the Middle District of Alabama filed forfeiture actions to recover proceeds. DOJ officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, have described the SPLC\u2019s actions as illegal and said the investigation remains ongoing. The article also references past SPLC practices of labeling conservative groups as hate groups and notes connections discussed in reporting, including ties to turning Point USA\u2019s Charlie Kirk.  <\/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 class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ehyXhNV100c\">CBS News\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Grand%20Jury%20Indicts%20Southern%20Poverty%20Law%20Center%20For%20Secret%20Fraudulent%20Payments%20To%20Racist%20Groups&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Grand%20Jury%20Indicts%20Southern%20Poverty%20Law%20Center%20For%20Secret%20Fraudulent%20Payments%20To%20Racist%20Groups&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Grand%20Jury%20Indicts%20Southern%20Poverty%20Law%20Center%20For%20Secret%20Fraudulent%20Payments%20To%20Racist%20Groups&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/grand-jury-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-secret-fraudulent-payments-to-racist-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>A federal grand jury indicted the far-left <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>) on Tuesday for allegedly making fraudulent payments to racist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,&rdquo; Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announcing<\/a> the charges. &ldquo;Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked. This Department of Justice will hold the SPLC and every other fraudulent organization operating with the same deceptive playbook accountable. No entity is above the law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1423773787\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to a Justice Department <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>, the SPLC &mdash; which has often <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/21\/report-doj-investigating-southern-poverty-law-center-for-use-of-paid-informants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">put targets<\/a> on the backs of nonviolent conservative organizations by falsely labeling them as &ldquo;hate groups&rdquo; &mdash; has been charged with 11 counts of &ldquo;wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.&rdquo; Per the presser, the U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office for the Middle District of Alabama Northern Division &ldquo;filed two forfeiture actions to recover alleged proceeds of the organization&rsquo;s fraud scheme.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The agency noted that the indictment returned by the Alabama grand jury detailed how the SPLC reportedly began a &ldquo;covert network&rdquo; in the 1980s comprised of individuals &ldquo;who were either associated with violent and extremist groups &hellip; or who had infiltrated violent extremist groups at the SPLC&rsquo;s direction.&rdquo; The SPLC, however, allegedly did not inform its donors that &ldquo;some of their donated money was being used to fund the leaders and organizers of racist groups at the same time that the SPLC was denouncing the same groups on its website.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the DOJ, between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC allegedly took more than $3 million in donor funds and &ldquo;secretly funneled&rdquo; it to people affiliated with &ldquo;various violent extremist groups.&rdquo; Among these organizations are the KKK, United Klans of America, National Alliance, and several others.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"9AzOpy0X8rTjm8tpZsqDLNmObD69JA2TSoRkeBWJF7vYQQ3csnbxXzgL5uwHdylYBqo17RiKu4KUvaV4PU2GhIjWHaIC\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#128680;HAPPENING NOW: Justice Department announces indictment against Southern Poverty Law Center (&#8220;SPLC&#8221;). Our indictment alleges SPLC secretly funneled MORE THAN $3 MILLION in funds to members of white supremacist and extremist groups. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ifpda94f7D\">pic.twitter.com\/Ifpda94f7D<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheJusticeDept\/status\/2046704517119377577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Referencing the indictment&rsquo;s findings, the DOJ disclosed that the scheme purportedly sought to &ldquo;obtain money via donations through materially false representations and omissions about what the donated funds would be used for.&rdquo; As alleged by the agency, the SPLC &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >opened bank accounts connected<\/a> to a series of fictitious entities&rdquo; as a means of &ldquo;covertly&rdquo; paying those involved.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The covert nature of the accounts allowed the SPLC to disguise the true nature, source, ownership, and control of the fraudulently obtained donated money the SPLC paid the individuals,&rdquo; the press release reads. &ldquo;In order to keep the scheme going, the SPLC made a series of false statements related to the operation of the accounts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Addressing the indictment, FBI Director Kash Patel &mdash; whose agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigated<\/a> the case alongside the IRS Criminal Investigation division &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FBIDirectorKash\/status\/2046710156096864368?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">classified<\/a> the SPLC&rsquo;s alleged actions as &ldquo;illegal.&rdquo; He further confirmed that the probe remains &ldquo;ongoing.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Patel previously <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 FBI&rsquo;s ties with the SPLC last year following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. TPUSA is one of several conservative organizations the SPLC has <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/10\/09\/exclusive-good-government-group-demands-irs-probe-splcs-tax-exempt-status-over-left-wing-political-activity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">smeared<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"nlNPiO92xZ67\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Well, this story isn&rsquo;t going to get any coverage in the majority of media. The Southern Poverty Law Center played a major role in organizing the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, which was falsely used as a political knife against Trump for years. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8jmfPmzl1s\">https:\/\/t.co\/8jmfPmzl1s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NypDLmYRdN\">pic.twitter.com\/NypDLmYRdN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KatiePavlich\/status\/2046732842974027869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 21, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      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<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/charlie-kirk\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Charlie Kirk<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Department of Justice<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/extremist\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">extremist<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fbi\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">FBI<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/indictments\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">indictments<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/informants\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">informants<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/kash-patel\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Kash Patel<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/kkk\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">KKK<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/racism\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">racism<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/southern-poverty-law-center\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/splc\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">SPLC<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Todd Blanche<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ indicts SPLC for funneling funds to racist groups<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2593545,"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\/DOJ.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[76152,15074,69807,15303],"class_list":["post-2593544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-fraud-allegations-2","tag-indictment","tag-legal-news-2","tag-splc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DOJ.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593544","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=2593544"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2593548,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593544\/revisions\/2593548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2593545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2593544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2593544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2593544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}