Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) over alleged deceptive and unfair fundraising practices, issuing a subpoena that seeks records related to the organization’s charitable solicitations, donor communications and use of informants.
The investigative subpoena requires SPLC to produce documents and evidence by May 25, according to Uthmeier’s office. The investigation centers on whether the organization misled Florida donors or prospective donors about how charitable contributions were used.
“The SPLC raises millions in charitable donations every year, while allegedly paying members and leaders within the very groups it purports to fight,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “SPLC appears to be running a deceptive organization that pays informants to manufacture racism on its behalf. If these allegations are true, there will be consequences.”
The subpoena seeks documents showing whether SPLC disclosed to Florida donors its use or proposed use of informants, as well as marketing materials, fundraising documents, website changes and communications describing SPLC’s mission, fundraising objectives and use of donor funds.
Uthmeier’s office is also seeking records showing annual donations received from Florida donors, annual disbursements of donated funds to informants, internal policies for approving informant-related payments and the percentage of SPLC’s annual budget allocated to those costs.
The subpoena further demands records showing any payments, donations or financial contributions to individuals or groups listed in SPLC’s “Extremist Files,” “hate map” or similar directories. It also seeks communications with financial institutions, technology companies, banks and credit card processors involving SPLC’s extremist-tracking work and related campaigns.
