Southern Poverty Law Center attorneys make first court appearance in fraud case

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The Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding donors by failing to disclose payments to informants within extremist groups. The organization's interim president and CEO, Bryan Fair, represented the SPLC in federal court. The Justice Department alleges the SPLC used donor money to fund extremism, with at least $3 million going to informants between 2014 and 2023. The SPLC denies wrongdoing, stating the informant program successfully prevented violence and dismantled hate groups.