A recent indictment from the Justice Department has revealed that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) allegedly funded an informant involved with white supremacist groups, including the planning of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. The informant, referred to as "field source 37" (F-37), reportedly received over $270,000 from the SPLC between 2015 and 2023. The indictment claims that F-37 participated in planning discussions for the rally and was present at the event under SPLC direction.
The "Unite the Right" rally, which involved various alt-right factions, resulted in violent confrontations, including a car attack that killed one person and injured many others. This incident has since been a focal point in political discourse, notably influencing Joe Biden's presidential campaign announcement in 2020, where he cited it as a significant motivator for his candidacy.
The indictment details that SPLC informants affiliated with extremist groups received over $3 million in funding from the organization between 2014 and 2023. It also accuses the SPLC of operating through fictitious entities and making misleading statements to conceal their activities. Notably, another informant, identified as F-9, reportedly garnered over $1 million while fundraising for the neo-Nazi group National Alliance. A third informant, F-30, received around $70,000 while leading a faction of the white supremacist Aryan Nation.
The SPLC now faces multiple charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Critics from the political right have long accused the SPLC of inaccurately categorizing mainstream conservatives alongside extremist groups, prompting the FBI to sever ties with the organization last year.