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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he has sent a
subpoena to the center seeking information about its donations
and payments to informants. He said he is seeking to determine
if the organization violated state laws related to charitable
organizations or deceptive trade practices.
“We look forward to learning more about the inner workings of an
organization that we have long believed was rotten, but until
recently, has been impervious,” Marshall said in a news release.
The SPLC gave a brief response Monday. “We have received notice
of a subpoena and are currently reviewing,” a spokesperson wrote
in an emailed statement.
The state investigation comes after the U.S. Department of
Justice announced a criminal indictment against the
organization, accusing it of fraud by using funds to pay
informants inside extremist groups. Todd Blanche, the acting
attorney general, accused the group of “manufacturing racism to
justify its existence."
The SPLC has called the accusation “provably wrong” and said the
informant program gathered intelligence to help stop attacks and
dismantle the efforts of hate groups. The organization said
federal officials have long known about the program and that
information has been shared with law enforcement.
The organization, best known for investigating hate groups, has
often clashed in legal cases with conservative groups, President
Donald Trump's administration and Marshall's office. The center
has been a frequent critic of Trump administration policies.
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