Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, Donald Trump’s Justice Department announced an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, a 55-year-old legacy civil rights organization, over its decades-long practice of using paid informants to infiltrate white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Experts and legal analysts were swift and unambiguous in their verdict: this is the federal government being weaponized against a civil rights organization for political purposes. The indictment fits a clear pattern of the Trump DOJ targeting organizations that document and oppose right-wing extremism.
SPLC Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair:
“Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do. The actions by the DOJ will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the Civil Rights movement becomes a reality for all.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY):
“The so-called indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center announced by Todd Blanche and Kash Patel is baseless and illegitimate. These partisan hacks who continue to weaponize the criminal justice system against perceived opponents will never intimidate us. And all of them will be held accountable for their corrupt behavior no matter what it takes.”
“Let’s be clear about what’s happening. This administration is using the full weight of federal prosecution to target an organization whose mission is rooting out violent extremism. This is part and parcel of Trump’s assault on free speech, on nonprofits, and on anyone who dares to disagree with him.”
“SPLC at times shared information gathered through its field sources program with law enforcement, including the FBI. Tuesday went around the bend, as Blanche tried to claim that SPLC, through this informant program, was helping white supremacist organizations. DOJ’s own indictment belies the claim […] The question is what it says about Blanche and the Department of Justice that he is pretending not to know the purpose of the SPLC’s prior use of field sources — and is using the criminal law to advance his contorted purpose.”
“This administration has targeted people and institutions whose philosophies run contrary to its own, even as it has protected and rewarded its allies, disappearing convictions of people like Steve Bannon and January 6 defendants convicted on serious insurrection charges. Indicting the Southern Poverty Law Center sends a message — part of their work involves tracking white supremacists, like some of the people who overran the Capitol on January 6. The Justice Department is going after SPLC on a tenuous theory; at the same time, it’s making sure the kind of people the Center tracks are walking free. The message is: it’s open season, as long as you support the president.”
ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero:
“The investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center is yet another example of the Trump administration’s extreme attempts to silence its critics. This administration’s continued weaponization of the Justice Department to target organizations speaking out against its agenda is anti-American behavior harkening back to the McCarthy era.”
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