Justice Department investigating Southern Poverty Law Center over paid informants
The Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a DOJ criminal investigation over its past use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.
The Southern Poverty Law Center announced Tuesday that it is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over its past use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.
The civil rights organization said the Trump administration appears to be preparing legal action against it or some of its employees. "Although we don't know all the details, the focus appears to be on the SPLC's prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups," CEO Bryan Fair said in a statement. The Justice Department did not immediately comment on the investigation.
According to Fair, the SPLC previously paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups and gather information on their activities, often sharing intelligence with local and federal law enforcement. The program was designed to monitor threats of violence and was kept confidential to protect informant safety. Fair defended the practice, stating it began during the height of the Civil Rights Movement when churches were bombed and activists murdered, adding that "what we learned from informants saved lives."
The Montgomery, Alabama-based organization, founded in 1971, has become a frequent target of Republican criticism. Critics accuse the SPLC of unfairly characterizing right-wing organizations as extremist groups based on their political viewpoints. The organization regularly criticizes Trump administration policies on voting rights and immigration.
Last year, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the agency was severing its relationship with the SPLC, calling it a "partisan smear machine" and criticizing its "hate map" that documents alleged anti-government and hate groups. House Republicans held a hearing in December alleging the SPLC coordinated with the Biden administration to target conservative Americans.
The investigation adds to concerns about the Justice Department's independence under the Trump administration, following other probes into Trump critics that have raised questions about political weaponization of law enforcement agencies.