24 DAILY NEWS – More than a dozen donors to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have criticized a recent Department of Justice indictment that accuses the organization of defrauding contributors by funding informants. Mary Wynne Kling, an Alabama native and long-time supporter, expressed outrage, stating, “It’s simultaneously infuriating and laughable that they’re charging the SPLC with funding hate groups.” She underscored SPLC’s historical commitment to combatting extremist groups, including its success in bankrupting the United Klans of America.
The indictment, filed on Tuesday in Alabama, claims the SPLC engaged in fraud by financially supporting hate groups and laundered money through fictitious business entities to pay informants. SPLC leadership has denied these allegations.
Kling and other supporters maintain that the SPLC is fulfilling its mission by using donor funds to gather intelligence on hate groups. Originally established in 1971 as a civil rights legal clinic, the SPLC shifted its focus in
