Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center following allegations that the organization funded violent extremist groups it publicly claims to oppose.
The investigation comes after federal prosecutors indicted the SPLC in April on fraud charges, alleging the nonprofit improperly raised millions of dollars from donors while secretly directing funds to individuals affiliated with groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
The SPLC has long positioned itself as a watchdog organization that tracks and exposes so-called “hate groups” while advocating against discrimination and extremism. Its widely cited reports and designations have influenced public discourse, policymaking, and corporate decisions across the country.
However, according to the U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump, the organization allegedly diverted more than $3 million to individuals tied to extremist groups. Prosecutors claim the SPLC misled donors by failing to disclose that their contributions could be used in ways that financially benefited those same organizations.
The SPLC has maintained that the payments were intended to gather intelligence and gain insider access to extremist networks. Still, investigators have suggested that at least some of the funds may have been used to facilitate additional criminal activity.
Attorney General Paxton said his office is now working to determine whether the organization violated Texas law through deceptive fundraising practices.
“The radical, woke SPLC was funding the very groups it was claiming to oppose,” said Paxton in a statement. “My office will ensure that the organization is held accountable for its blatant deception. Donors of the SPLC deserve to know if they have been manipulated into supporting a non-profit that gives millions of dollars to the KKK and other groups that they thought they were opposing.”
As part of the probe, the Office of the Attorney General has issued a Civil Investigative Demand, a legal tool used to obtain documents and information relevant to potential violations of state law.
The investigation will focus on whether the SPLC engaged in deceptive donor solicitations, misrepresentation, or other unlawful conduct tied to its fundraising and financial practices.
At this stage, the SPLC has not publicly responded to Paxton’s investigation. The outcome of both the federal case and the Texas inquiry may determine whether the organization faces further legal consequences or financial penalties.
