SouthernWorldwide.com – The leader of a left-wing nonprofit, currently facing accusations of secretly channeling funds to members of extremist groups while publicly advocating against hate, is set to face scrutiny from the House of Representatives.
Bryan Fair, the interim CEO and President of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. This testimony comes as a congressional investigation into the civil rights group’s now-discontinued informant practices intensifies.
Fair’s appearance before the committee follows an 11-count indictment issued against the SPLC in April. Federal prosecutors allege financial crimes, including defrauding donors by concealing payments made to members of extremist organizations. These groups reportedly include the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, the Aryan Nation, and various neo-Nazi organizations.
NEO-NAZIS, ‘SADISTIC’ BIKERS AND CHARLOTTESVILLE ORGANIZER: 5 OF THE MOST SHOCKING SPLC INFORMANTS
Furthermore, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is also examining the SPLC’s connections with the Biden Department of Justice concerning civil rights matters. The committee’s investigation was underway even before the criminal indictment was filed.
Republicans have voiced strong criticism regarding the Biden Justice Department’s utilization of the SPLC’s controversial “hate map.” This map has been used to target conservative organizations, such as Turning Point USA, Moms for Liberty, and the Family Research Council.
In a superseding indictment filed last week, the Department of Justice specified that the SPLC covertly transferred over $4 million in donor funds. These funds were allegedly moved to bank accounts under fictitious names to compensate members of extremist groups between 2010 and 2023.
The SPLC’s stated objective was to infiltrate these organizations to monitor their activities. However, prosecutors contend that the organization failed to disclose these payments to its donors and engaged in conduct that constitutes bank fraud.
The new indictment, filed in the Middle District of Alabama, also alleges that an SPLC employee paid two Klan members $1,200 per month. This payment was reportedly made to ensure their continued involvement in the hate group, after the individuals had initially approached the SPLC seeking assistance to leave.
Some of the funds, according to the indictment, were allegedly used by extremist groups for recruitment purposes. They were also reportedly used to reimburse expenses associated with activities like cross-burnings and the purchase of Ku Klux Klan attire.
The SPLC has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The organization asserts that the criminal charges are politically motivated.
“The SPLC did not lie to its donors, it did not mislead banks it did business with, and its informant program prevented violence and saved lives,” a representative stated.
SPLC FACES BLOWBACK FROM ‘HATE MAP’ TARGETS AFTER DOJ FRAUD INDICTMENT
Federal prosecutors claim that one informant, who received over $270,000 from the SPLC, played a role in planning the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The indictment further alleges that the SPLC instructed this informant to attend the demonstration and to “make racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC.”
In May, Jordan’s committee issued a subpoena to the SPLC. The subpoena requested documents related to the organization’s alleged coordination with the Biden administration and its practice of hiring members of extremist groups as “field sources.”
The SPLC is also under congressional scrutiny for a significant increase in its profits during the period it operated its controversial informant program.
According to the superseding indictment, the nonprofit’s revenue surged from $38.7 million in 2010 to over $129 million in 2023. This represents a substantial 233% increase in revenue.
Democratic lawmakers have criticized the Republican-led probe into the SPLC.
“There’s a lot of other places we should be looking at if we’re worried about organizations that spread hate, maybe start with the administration,” one lawmaker commented.
Expected to testify alongside Bryan Fair before the Judiciary Committee are Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and chair of the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute, and Ryan Bangert, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and special counsel to the president at Alliance Defending Freedom.
