Southern Poverty Law Center indicted on charges that it fraudulently paid informants in extremist groups

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging the civil rights organization has engaged in financial crimes.

WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday announced an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleging the civil rights organization has engaged in financial crimes.

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Blanche said at a news conference that the Justice Department’s investigation found the organization had been “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred,” and then hiding those payments.

The 11-count indictment from a federal grand jury consists of six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured bank and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.