{"id":2604165,"date":"2026-05-18T18:13:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paxton-opens-investigation-into-splc-as-judge-sets-trial-for-fraud-case\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T18:15:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:15:54","slug":"paxton-opens-investigation-into-splc-as-judge-sets-trial-for-fraud-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paxton-opens-investigation-into-splc-as-judge-sets-trial-for-fraud-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Paxton opens investigation into SPLC as judge sets trial for fraud case"},"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\">24<\/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%2Fpaxton-opens-investigation-into-splc-as-judge-sets-trial-for-fraud-case%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=2604165&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>Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office has launched an inquiry into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The probe follows a federal fraud case: a judge in Alabama has set the SPLC\u2019s criminal trial for October after prosecutors accused the civil-rights nonprofit of improperly using more than $3 million in donor funds to pay confidential informants tied to extremist organizations and related groups,including Ku Klux Klan affiliates and participants connected to the 2017 \u201cUnite the Right\u201d rally.<\/p>\n<p>paxton alleges the SPLC may have solicited donations from Texans under potentially misleading claims and may have failed to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >comply wiht state charitable-law requirements<\/a>. The SPLC has pleaded not guilty, denied wrongdoing, and argued its informant program was intended to collect intelligence to prevent extremist violence and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-portland-mayor-done-with-anarchist-mob-begs-public-to-help-unmask-rioters\/\" title=\"Democrat Portland Mayor \u2018Done\u2019 With \u2018Anarchist Mob,\u2019 Begs Public To Help \u2018Unmask\u2019 Rioters\">assist law enforcement<\/a>.  <\/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<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"253\">Texas<\/a> Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4370\">Ken Paxton<\/a> announced a new investigation into the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/southern-poverty-law-center\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3052\">Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a> on Monday as a federal judge in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alabama\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1172\">Alabama<\/a> moved forward with a criminal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fraud\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3188\">fraud<\/a> case against the civil rights organization, setting a jury trial for October. <\/p>\n<p>Paxton said his office has opened an investigation into the Alabama-based nonprofit group over allegations tied to its funding of \u201ccertain violent extremist groups that it claimed to oppose,\u201d according to a press release from the attorney general\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4573338\/trump-doj-investigation-maryland-mail-in-ballots\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump calls for DOJ investigation into Maryland\u2019s mail-in ballot system<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4572715\/doj-announces-anti-weaponization-fund-biden-lawfare\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ announces $1.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-calls-for-doj-investigation-into-marylands-mail-in-ballot-system\/\" title=\"Trump calls for DOJ ... into Maryland&#039;s mail-in ballot system\">776 billion \u2018anti-weaponization\u2019 fund<\/a> for Biden lawfare victims<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4572410\/trump-moves-drop-irs-lawsuit-doj-weaponization-victims-fund\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump moves to drop $10 billion IRS lawsuit as DOJ weighs weaponization victims fund<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>The investigation comes weeks after federal prosecutors accused the SPLC of fraud involving payments to confidential informants embedded in extremist groups. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The organization pleaded not guilty to fraud charges May 7 after federal prosecutors accused the group of improperly using more than $3 million in donor funds to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/splc-pleads-not-guilty-as-ceo-vows-to-fight-fraud-charges\/\" title=\"... pleads not guilty as CEO vows to fight ...\">pay informants connected<\/a> to organizations that included the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ku-klux-klan\/page\/13\/\">Ku Klux Klan<\/a>, Aryan Nations affiliates, and individuals who helped organize the 2017 \u201cUnite the Right\u201d rally in Charlottesville, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Paxton said his investigation will examine whether the SPLC solicited donations from Texans under potentially misleading pretenses and whether representations about its activities complied with state law. <\/p>\n<p>Paxton, a Republican who has frequently sparred with progressive advocacy organizations, framed the investigation as part of a broader effort to ensure charitable organizations are transparent with donors. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe radical, woke SPLC was funding the very groups it was claiming to oppose,\u201d he said. \u201cDonors of the SPLC deserve to know if they have been manipulated into supporting a non-profit that gives millions of dollars to the KKK and other groups that they thought they were opposing.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>The SPLC had denied wrongdoing and previously called the allegations \u201cprovably wrong,\u201d arguing that its informant program was designed to gather intelligence to prevent extremist violence and aid law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p id=\"h-southern-poverty-law-center-pleads-not-guilty-as-ceo-vows-to-fight-fraud-case\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4559980\/splc-not-guilty-plea-fraud-case\/\"><strong>SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY AS CEO VOWS TO FIGHT FRAUD CASE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The nonprofit group, best known for tracking hate groups and litigating civil rights cases, has said federal authorities were aware of aspects of the program for years. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a federal magistrate judge in Montgomery on Monday set an Oct. 5 jury trial in the criminal fraud case against the SPLC, according to a court scheduling order. The order schedules jury selection and trial to begin at 10 a.m. in federal court in Montgomery before U.S. District Judge Emily Marks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas AG Paxton launches probe of SPLC while federal fraud trial is set for October<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2604168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26138638890746.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4733,6909,3976,33118,15303],"class_list":["post-2604165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-court","tag-fraud","tag-investigation","tag-legal-proceedings","tag-splc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26138638890746.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604165","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\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2604165"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2604170,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604165\/revisions\/2604170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2604168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2604165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2604165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2604165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}