The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was indicted yesterday on multiple counts of wire and bank fraud, just hours after the group said it was under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the SPLC paid millions to White supremacy groups to "stoke racial hatred" in the groups the SPLC investigated. FBI Director Kash Patel said the SPLC, "allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public."
The DOJ said the SPLC paid members of extremist groups, including those affiliated with the KKK, the Aryan Nations-affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club, and the National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party). The SPLC also reportedly played a major role in organizing the Charlottesville United the Right rally, which the Left used against President Trump for years. It was also the reason Joe Biden claimed to run for president in 2020.
And in 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins attacked the headquarters of the Family Research Council using a list of "hate groups" compiled by the SPLC. Corkins shot a security guard who managed to subdue him until police arrived. The guard survived and Corkins was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2013.
With all this in mind, check out how the Left and media are framing the indictment of the SPLC:
The Southern Poverty Law Center was indicted for paying sources to infiltrate hate groups, a tactic federal agencies have used for decades. https://t.co/flekWop4XX
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 22, 2026
"Paying sources to infiltrate hate groups," is a hell of a framing. That's not what they were doing. Law enforcement infiltrates groups.
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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also criticized the indictments, claiming the DOJ was weaponized against the SPLC.
The so-called indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center announced by Todd Blanche and Kash Patel is baseless and illegitimate.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) April 21, 2026
These partisan hacks who continue to weaponize the criminal justice system against perceived opponents will never intimidate us.
And all of…
"These partisan hacks who continue to weaponize the criminal justice system against perceived opponents will never intimidate us," Jeffries wrote on X. "And all of them will be held accountable for their corrupt behavior no matter what it takes."
This isn't corruption. But keep threatening to weaponize government against the Trump administration.
Us?
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 22, 2026
An interesting choice of words, no?
You really are a special kind of stupid and dishonest. A grand jury made of Alabama citizens brought forward the indictment when presented with evidence, not the Trump administration.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) April 22, 2026
The Democrats will probably go after the Alabama citizens, too.
You are promising to prosecute them for prosecuting fraud?
— MAZE (@mazemoore) April 22, 2026
Democrats in California are promising to prosecute journalists who expose fraud, so yes. This is the next logical step.
For the record, it's an actual indictment. https://t.co/GORHEeN1L4
— Boo (@IzaBooboo) April 22, 2026
Yes, it is.
This is beyond extremely reckless. It is outright perfidious for the House Minority Leader to flatly dismiss a detailed indictment as baseless and illegitimate without knowing anything about it. For instance, this is what the indictment says about Charlottesville. Now, either… https://t.co/7i4ZxJvnjF pic.twitter.com/gYeGTRhMhp
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) April 22, 2026
Jeffries knows this is reckless. That's the point. He wants the narrative of a weaponized indictment to dominate the news cycle so the truth doesn't get out there.
“We should be able to fraudulently pay for false flag extremism to boost our political fortunes and then use shell companies to hide it!”
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) April 22, 2026
Nah, dawg. https://t.co/omRD77dCm8
That's literally what he's arguing for.
He’s thundering about “accountability” — not for the alleged criminals whose conduct is demonstrated in receipts laid out in the indictment handed down by a grand jury — but for the Justice Department officials who’ve investigated and demonstrated the alleged crimes. https://t.co/IMbs7dTSO6
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 22, 2026
Jeffries wasn't the only one. Senator Adam Schiff also attacked the indictments, saying it was the Trump administration's attempt to defend white supremacists.
By going after the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Trump administration has dramatically escalated its attack on civil rights organizations and its defense of white supremacists.
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) April 22, 2026
These intimidation tactics won't succeed. pic.twitter.com/UGQfBeNNGK
Incredible.
Shifty Schiff believes it’s OK to fund racist activities then report on them to make it appear racism is terrible in America — all for votes.
— ShillingburgR1 (@RShillingburg1) April 22, 2026
This appears to be the Democrat playbook. https://t.co/QbIFOfgENA
And so did Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Trump’s DOJ is once again targeting and intimidating perceived political enemies.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) April 21, 2026
The Southern Poverty Law Center does incredibly important work protecting democracy and promoting civil rights — and I will continue to stand with them. https://t.co/dBIYRo7a1t
It's painfully, alarmingly clear that Democrats believe some people are above the law, and that includes organizations and people with whom the Democrats are ideologically aligned and support.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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