Southern Poverty Law Center under the microscope on Capitol Hill as lawmakers clash

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The House Judiciary Committee convened on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to examine recent allegations against the Southern Poverty Law Center. Specifically, whether or not it diverted donor funds and mislabeled conservative groups as hate organizations. Republican Chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, opened the hearing with an explosive statement, accusing the SPLC of running a scam.

Turned out for them creating hate was more profitable than fighting it. That’s exactly what they did,” said Jordan.

Among the witnesses who testified on Wednesday was Maya Wiley, who serves as President & CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

The attack on SPLC is nothing more than part of a larger, broader, coordinated attack on civil rights organizations,” Wiley said.

Another witness, Dr. Carol Swain, who said she faced a smear campaign after publishing an article over 15 years ago arguing the SPLC drifted from targeting hate groups to mainstream conservatives.

In October 2009, SPLC spokesman Mark Potok publicly labeled me an “apologist for white supremacists,” Swain testified.

Jordan, among other Republican lawmakers, pressed Wiley throughout the hearing about the SPLC’s use of donor funds to pay informants to monitor extremist groups.

I didn’t ask if it was lawful, unlawful. As you said earlier in your testimony, the court is going to determine that when they go to trial. What I’m asking, is it appropriate?” asked Jordan. “As I’ve said, the donors have spoken,” responded Wiley.

The hearing comes following an 11-count criminal indictment. The DOJ charged the SPLC with massive financial fraud and money laundering.

Allegedly defrauding its donor network by using charitable funds to financially sustain the extremist groups it claimed to fight. Using shell companies to funnel over $3 million to extremist groups, including the KKK, between 2014 and 2023.

The SPLC was not dismantling these groups, it was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in April.

Meanwhile, many Democrats strongly defended the center. Citing their historic role in fighting white supremacy and racist terror plots.

What its donors love about the SPLC, is how effective it’s been getting on the inside of extremely dangerous, racial terrorist groups to find out what’s going on to try and stop the reign of terror of bombings, assaults, lynching and arson,” said Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

The indictment includes six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The SPLC continues to say it’s not guilty, calling the charges a political attack.