Texas investigates Southern Poverty Law Center over alleged KKK funding and donor fraud
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has opened an investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging the nonprofit misled donors while funding extremist groups it publicly condemned.
The Texas Attorney General's office announced the investigation Monday, saying it is examining whether the Alabama-based organization violated Texas law through deceptive donor solicitations and other practices.
SPLC facing federal fraud charges
What we know:
As part of the probe, the attorney general’s office issued a civil investigative demand to the SPLC. The investigation follows federal fraud charges filed in April against the SPLC, according to Paxton’s office.
Federal prosecutors alleged the organization improperly raised millions of dollars while secretly paying leaders and associates of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other extremist groups.
The U.S. Department of Justice has accused the SPLC of defrauding donors by directing more than $3 million to individuals tied to extremist organizations the nonprofit said it was working to combat. Prosecutors said the SPLC claimed the payments were intended to gather insider information, but investigators alleged some of the funds may have been used to support additional criminal activity.
Southern Poverty Law Center accused of paying $3M to extremists
The Southern Poverty Law Center faces federal fraud and money laundering charges after investigators alleged the group secretly funded the same extremist organizations it claimed to oppose.
Texas accuses non-profit of deceptive fundraising
(Photo by Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images)
What they're saying:
Paxton accused the organization of deceiving contributors about how their donations would be used.
"The radical, woke SPLC was funding the very groups it was claiming to oppose," Paxton said in a statement. "My office will ensure that the organization is held accountable for its blatant deception."
He added that donors "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."
History of the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation on 3rd March 2020 in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. It is known for its legal cases against w
What's next:
The SPLC, founded in 1971, describes itself as a civil rights organization focused on combating hate and extremism. The group is known for tracking and labeling organizations it considers hate groups and for monitoring extremist activity across the United States.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Office of the Attorney General's Office.