The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed 11 criminal charges against a US nonprofit group over alleged payments to individuals linked to extremist groups. Prosecutors claim the organization used donor funds for transactions that were not disclosed to the public.
The indictment covers activity from 2014 to 2023 involving more than $3 million. Authorities say the case centers on how those funds were managed and communicated to donors.
The charges include six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal prosecutors allege the organization moved funds through multiple accounts before reaching recipients. Investigators say the structure involved shell entities that had no legitimate operations.
Officials also pointed to a long-running informant program tied to extremist groups. The nonprofit reportedly worked with individuals inside these groups to gather intelligence. However, prosecutors argue that some of these individuals received payments while still participating in extremist activities.
“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, on the alleged use of informants. He said the case focuses on how donor funds were used and presented.
The organization denied the allegations and defended its use of informants as part of intelligence efforts. Its leadership said the work aimed to monitor threats and protect communities. It also described the case as politically motivated and said it will challenge the charges.
The DOJ stated that the indictment remains an allegation and the case has not yet been resolved in court.
