Florida launches civil investigation of SPLC for alleged ‘deceptive’ practices

Already, the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center has been named in an 11-count federal grand jury indictment on allegations of a decade of fraud and money laundering.

The charges allege the group was paying, covertly, individuals tied to groups like the Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan and the National Sociality Party of America, the American Nazi party, with money it obtained from donors who believed it was fighting those groups.

Now there’s a follow up.

It is Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier who has begun a civil investigation to determine if allegations of “deceptive and unfair practices” took place in his state.

Uthmeier has issued an investigative subpoena under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act requiring the SPLC turn over “documents and evidence” by May 25.

According to a report from Liberty Counsel, which long has opposed the SPLC’s extremist agendas, “With these records, investigators seek to uncover how donations from Floridians were used and whether residents were informed of donations potentially going to the very extremist organizations the SPLC claims to fight against.”

“The SPLC raises millions in charitable donations every year, while allegedly paying members and leaders within the very groups it purports to fight,” stated AG Uthmeier. “SPLC appears to be running a deceptive organization that pays informants to manufacture racism on its behalf. If these allegations are true, there will be consequences.”

The SPLC raises millions in charitable donations every year, while allegedly paying members and leaders within the very groups it purports to fight.

SPLC appears to be running a deceptive organization that pays informants to manufacture racism on its behalf. If these allegations… pic.twitter.com/YBGEH16wX0

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) May 4, 2026

The federal claims allege that SPLC donors were misled into thinking their donations were being used solely to dismantle these groups, yet a portion of the funds was instead diverted to members or leaders within them.

The SPLC has justified its actions under the guise of paying “informants.”

Florida’s new subpoena calls for the SPLC to turn over a wide range of documents dating back to 2014, including financial donation records, budget allocations and internal communications related to “informants,” and marketing materials used to solicit donations from Florida residents, Liberty Counsel said.

Also demanded are details of the SPLC’s “Extremist Files,” “hate map,” “Intelligence Project,” and “No Blood Money Campaign.”

“With credible allegations of deceptive fundraising and undisclosed ‘informant’ programs, the Southern Poverty Law Center warrants thorough investigation and scrutiny. Any organization that purports its mission as confronting extremist activities yet engages in questionable financial activities with those extremist organizations has crossed a line and must be held accountable,” said Mat Staver, chief of Liberty Counsel.

“The SPLC has falsely labeled Liberty Counsel and many other Christian conservative groups as ‘hate groups’ in a baseless, reckless attempt to damage the reputations of those with which it merely disagrees. Now, this state investigation from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier further alleging deceptive practices by the SPLC is essential to restoring public trust and informed decision-making by charitable donors.”

Uthmeier’s 14-page Consumer Protection Subpoena Duces Tecum is for “the production of all responsive documents and information in your possession, custody or control regardless of whether such documents or information is possessed directly by you or your directors, officers, agents, employees, representatives, subsidiaries, managing agents, affiliates, investigators, or by your attorneys or their agents, employees, representatives, or investigators.”

The legal filing explains that SPLC needs to “discontinue all data destruction and overwriting/recycling processes of relevant data” and “Preserve passwords, decryption procedures (and accompanying software), access codes, ID codes, etc.”

Specifically it asks for documentation of Florida donors, marketing information, details about donation solicitations as well as changes that were made.