The Southern Poverty Law Center has told a federal court that law enforcement agencies were aware for years that the civil rights organization was paying informants to monitor hate groups, according to court filings.

The disclosure comes as the organization faces legal challenges and has demanded that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issue corrections to what it calls "false" statements he made following the SPLC's indictment.

The nonprofit civil rights organization, based in Montgomery, Alabama, has operated informant programs as part of its mission to track extremist and hate group activities across the United States. The SPLC maintains that these operations were conducted with the knowledge of law enforcement agencies.

In court documents, the organization argues that its informant activities were not conducted in secret and that relevant authorities were informed of the program's existence and operations over multiple years.

The SPLC's demand for corrections from Blanche suggests disagreement over characterizations of the organization's activities or legal situation. The acting Attorney General's office has not yet responded publicly to the correction request.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, founded in 1971, is known for its legal advocacy against hate groups and its tracking of extremist organizations nationwide through its Intelligence Project.