Legal woes continue to mount for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation into the nonprofit on May 11, four days after it pleaded not guilty on all counts filed by the Department of Justice.
The DOJ alleges that SPLC engaged in wire fraud, false statements, and conspiracy to commit money laundering through its financing of informants involved with extremist groups—including an individual involved in a leadership group chat that planned the August 12, 2017, Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.
Marshall cites the DOJ indictment as a contributing factor in his decision to subpoena SPLC, but notes his office has been at odds with the organization for years on issues ranging from gender-affirming care for minors to protecting Republican congressional districts.
“We have always suspected that they were monetizing hate and trading on race-baiting, it was just a matter of proving it,” says Marshall. “Thanks to the U.S. Justice Department’s action to deal with the SPLC, the state’s efforts have now received a shot in the arm. We look forward to learning more about the inner workings of an organization that we have long believed was rotten, but until recently, has been impervious.”
While SPLC had not responded to the Alabama attorney general’s office at press time, the nonprofit released a statement coinciding with its not guilty pleas in the federal case.
“The SPLC is no stranger to legal threats by those on the wrong side of history. In our 55 years, we have faced and prevailed in numerous fights,” said SPLC interim president and CEO Bryan Fair. “The SPLC will continue to fight white supremacy and various forms of injustice in our mission to build a democracy where we can all live and thrive. We will continue that mission no matter what.”
