DOJ Southern Poverty Law Center Indictment a Dangerous New Attack on Nonprofits

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 21, 2026 – Tuesday evening, the Department of Justice announced an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on various charges. An investigation targeting the civil rights organization is reportedly ongoing.

Conservatives have long opposed the SPLC’s efforts to investigate, catalogue, and legally challenge hate groups, including famously the Ku Klux Klan, as well as other white supremacist, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ+ organizations. This DOJ investigation is the administration’s latest salvo against nonprofits that in any way do not politically align with its agenda, including nonprofits that advance civil and human rights and democracy itself. It signals a dangerous willingness to abuse power against those advancing civil rights and to silence dissent.

Alliance for Justice President Rachel Rossi issued the following statement:

“Time and again, this administration has demonstrated its eagerness to stand on the wrong side of history. First, we saw Trump pardon January 6 insurrectionists and then try to paint anyone anti-fascist as a ‘terrorist,’ and now, he’s directly attacking an organization that works to resist hate and extremism. What conclusion can be drawn other than that Trump and his administration are on the side of fascism, hate, and extremism?

“Nonprofits are a vital part of our democracy, working to protect peoples’ rights, deliver critical services, help people participate in democracy, and make our communities safer. Nonprofits represent the voice of the people. Threats to silence them threaten us all.

“As a former DOJ senior official, I have deep respect for the duty of the DOJ to protect the American people and administer justice fairly. Instead, Trump has conscripted the DOJ to advance his extremist agenda. We stand with the SPLC and their important work to oppose hate, and we deplore such obviously corrupt efforts to weaponize the DOJ and target valiant nonprofits with intimidation — or worse. This is the latest alarm in a cacophony of alarms that our democracy is failing, and Congress must act to protect these organizations.”