Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a Justice Department criminal probe over paid informants
Summary
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced it is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department for its past use of paid informants to gather information on extremist groups. The SPLC says the investigation may lead to charges and is related to its efforts to monitor violent groups for law enforcement during previous years.Key Facts
- The SPLC is a civil rights group that used paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.
- The information gathered was shared with local and federal law enforcement to monitor threats of violence.
- The SPLC says the informant program helped save lives during times of racial violence in the past.
- The group learned of a possible criminal investigation by the Justice Department, under President Donald Trump’s administration.
- The SPLC plans to defend itself, its staff, and its work against any legal action.
- The SPLC has been criticized by conservatives who accuse it of unfairly labeling right-wing groups as extremist.
- The FBI ended its relationship with the SPLC last year, citing concerns about partisanship.
- The investigation is seen in the context of other probes into critics of President Trump’s administration.
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