The Southern Poverty Law Center is under criminal investigation by the Trump administration, the organization's interim chief executive announced Tuesday, characterizing the probe as a deliberate effort to silence a longtime adversary of the political right.
Bryan Fair said in a video statement that the 55-year-old civil rights organization faced "a criminal investigation and possible charges against the SPLC or some of our employees." He described the threat as "serious" and rooted in the group's use of confidential informants who penetrated "extremely violent" extremist groups.
Fair emphasized that SPLC's informants "risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the activities of our nation's most radical and violent extremist groups" and that their intelligence had been shared with the FBI in ways that "saved lives." He framed the investigation as retaliation for the group's decades-long campaign against white supremacist organizations through civil litigation.
"We are unsurprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration," Fair said, adding that the Trump team "have made no secret of who they want to protect and who they want to destroy."
The Justice Department has disclosed no details about the investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama, where SPLC is headquartered in Montgomery, declined to comment beyond a standard statement that the department "generally do not confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on the existence or non-existence of investigations."
The probe marks an escalation of the administration's conflict with SPLC, which has drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers for years. Last month, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau had "jettisoned all relationships with the Southern Poverty Law Center" during an interview with Trump administration officials preparing a report on alleged "anti-Christian bias."
The timing coincides with pressure on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to deliver high-profile wins against entities President Trump views as hostile. Trump has been dissatisfied with former Attorney General Pam Bondi's record in securing convictions against his political adversaries, and Blanche recently told NBC News that Americans should be "happy" about Trump's close involvement in Justice Department operations.
Kevin Davidson, a career federal prosecutor since 2012, heads the Middle District of Alabama's U.S. Attorney's Office in an acting capacity. That office oversees prosecutions across one of 94 federal districts nationwide.
The legal theory underlying any potential charges remains unclear. The department has initiated no public proceedings related to SPLC's use of confidential sources, and standard practice prohibits federal prosecutors from confirming investigations before charges are filed.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The message here is unmistakable: groups that antagonize Trump face official consequences, and the Justice Department is the instrument for delivering them."
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