Southern Poverty Law Center Says It Faces Federal Criminal Investigation |
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The Southern Poverty Law Center is the target of a federal investigation, potentially over the use of paid informants to gather intelligence on extremist groups, the organization said in a statement Tuesday.
Bryan Fair, the interim CEO of the Montgomery-based civil rights organization, said he does not know all the details of the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice but believes it’s tied to efforts to gain information about the Ku Klux Klan and other organizations with the potential for violence.
“For decades, we engaged in unprecedented litigation to dismantle the Klan and other hate groups,” Fair said in a video statement. “In light of that work, we sought to protect the safety of our staff and the public. We frequently shared what we learned from informants with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI.”
A message seeking comment was left with the DOJ on Tuesday. Fair said SPLC no longer uses paid informants but did not say........