Tipsheet

The SPLC Is Being Grilled on Capitol Hill—Watch Jim Jordan Accuse Them of Profiting Off Extremism

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  June 09, 2026 12:30 PM

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, tore into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) during his opening remarks at the group's congressional hearing Tuesday, as the organization prepared to face intense scrutiny from Congressional Republicans. 

The hearing follows an indictment unsealed in April alleging that the organization helped fund extremists and hate groups in an effort to stoke racial divisions and other forms of extremism across the United States, including activities connected to the controversial Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rep. Jordan slammed the self-described civil rights group for allegedly profiting from extremism and revealed that the Biden administration was aware of the group's activities but declined to pursue the case. 

"This scam that they were running, [the Biden Administration] knew the SPLC was doing this, but they didn't pursue the case, they dropped the case. Because when you meet with them, when you consult with them, when you have them train your prosecutors, you're not going to prosecute them. Nope, you're not going to do it because it's too valuable politically," Rep. Jordan said.

"And here's the scary part, and I'm sure we'll have questions for Mr. Fair later on about this. Here's the scary part. It all worked."

"Field source 37, the guy at the Charlottesville rally, [who] helped plan that rally, coordinate transportation there, was paid to attend. After the event, again, after the event where a lady was killed, the Southern Poverty Law Center almost tripled their income. $51 million to $133 million after they were coordinating the hate that took place at that crazy rally," he continued. "You run a scam, you become the standard, you don't get prosecuted, and you make a ton of money. They got $800 million assets, $700 million in an endowment. Such a deal."

"And they would have gotten away with it, but for the oversight of Congress, and more importantly, the work of the Justice Department," Rep. Jordan added. "So God bless the Attorney General and the work him and his team are doing. And we look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and asking them questions."

This comes as the Trump Justice Department dropped an indictment against the SPLC in late April, alleging that it funded members of white supremacist and other extremist groups, including the KKK, while presenting itself as a defender of civil rights in America. 

In other words, it was accused of supporting and amplifying the very extremism it claimed to oppose, potentially in a bid to sustain its mission and strength. It is still unclear how widespread the alleged funding was, although Republicans are expected to press for answers during today’s hearing.