Alabama Attorney General Opens Civil Investigation Into Southern Poverty Law Center After Federal Indictment

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation Monday into the Southern Poverty Law Center’s fundraising practices, one day after the organization faced a federal criminal indictment. Marshall sent a subpoena to the Southern Poverty Law Center seeking information about its donations and payments to informants.

He is seeking to determine whether the organization violated state laws related to charitable organizations or deceptive trade practices.

The announcement occurred on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Montgomery, Ala. “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 Southern Poverty Law Center responded briefly.

“We have received notice of a subpoena and are currently reviewing,” a spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. U.S. Department of Justice criminal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The indictment accuses the organization of fraud by using funds to pay informants inside extremist groups. ” The Southern Poverty Law Center stated that the informant program gathered intelligence to help stop attacks and dismantle the efforts of hate groups.

The organization also stated that federal officials have long known about the program and that information has been shared with law enforcement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is best known for investigating hate groups. It 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.