Federal prosecutors allege the Southern Poverty Law Center — America’s most prominent anti-hate organization — literally funded Ku Klux Klan robes, lumber, and gasoline so the Klan could burn crosses.
A superseding indictment filed Tuesday in federal court lays out the explosive claim in court documents now public record.
“THE SPLC, WHICH PRESENTS ITSELF AS AMERICA’S FOREMOST ANTI-HATE ORGANIZATION, QUITE LITERALLY FUNDED KLAN ROBES, AND ALSO PAID FOR LUMBER AND GAS SO THE KLAN COULD MAKE CROSSES AND BURN THEM.”
In the indictment, people labeled with the letter F and a number are members of extremist organizations allegedly funded by the SPLC. F-31 and F-32 are alleged Klan members whose robes and cross-burning supplies were paid for with SPLC donor money.
The SPLC has been generously supported by leftist donors including George Soros and George Clooney, according to earlier reporting.
If prosecutors prove these allegations in court with convincing evidence, those celebrity donors were paying for Klan robes and cross-burnings.
The SPLC has due process rights and is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the detailed allegations in the new indictment — naming specific Klan members, specific materials purchased, and specific donor funds used — paint a stunning picture of the organization’s activities.
The full indictment is available in federal court records. The case continues.
