Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation on Monday into the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) fundraising practices, following a federal indictment against the organisation. Marshall has issued a subpoena seeking information about the centre's donations and payments to informants, aiming to determine if state laws on charitable organisations or deceptive trade practices were violated.
“We look forward to learning more about the inner workings of an organisation that we have long believed was rotten, but until recently, has been impervious,” Marshall said in a statement. The SPLC responded briefly, confirming receipt of the subpoena and stating they are reviewing it.
The state probe follows a US Department of Justice criminal indictment accusing the SPLC of fraud by using funds to pay informants within extremist groups. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged the group was “manufacturing racism to justify its existence.” The SPLC has dismissed the accusation as “provably wrong,” asserting that the informant programme gathered intelligence to prevent attacks and dismantle hate groups, with information shared with law enforcement.
The SPLC, renowned for investigating hate groups, has frequently clashed with conservative groups, the Trump administration, and Marshall's office, and has been a vocal critic of Trump administration policies.
