Federal Indictment Alleges SPLC Laundered Funds to Extremist Groups

The Federalist reported that this indictment highlights broader concerns about the SPLC's operations, including its alleged infiltration and financial support of such groups.

According to The Federalist, the FBI incorporated SPLC analysis into its threat assessments and work products for years, including in a memo from the Richmond field office that referenced SPLC data on radical-traditionalist Catholics. Sen. Chuck Grassley revealed that the memo equated certain Catholic beliefs with extremist ideologies and was distributed to more than 1,000 agents and employees.

Former FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the memo originated from a single field office with limited distribution, but records indicated involvement from multiple offices and at least 13 additional documents using similar terminology.

The Federalist stated that the former Biden administration's National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, released in June 2021, formalized public-private partnerships and incorporated non-governmental analysis into threat identification. This strategy included a mechanism for receiving and sharing domestic terrorism-related information from non-governmental experts, as outlined in the declassified Strategic Implementation Plan.

Internal FBI emails, as reported by The Federalist, showed officials questioning the reliance on SPLC designations and acknowledging overreliance on the group.

The FBI allowed SPLC personnel to assist in training agents on extremism and extremist organizations, according to The Federalist. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that government scrutiny of the SPLC began years ago. The Federalist reported that the indictment prompts questions about federal awareness of SPLC methods and the need for congressional action to prohibit use of unvetted partisan lists in investigations.

The Federalist suggested that Congress should require disclosure of sources in intelligence products and declassify documents relying on SPLC data. It also called for dismantling mechanisms allowing non-governmental input into federal threat assessments and investigating potential taxpayer funding of such operations.