Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), centering on allegations of deceptive fundraising and unfair trade practices.
The state issued a subpoena duces tecum on May 4, 2026, ordering the Alabama-based non-profit to hand over a massive cache of internal documents by May 25. The move marks a significant escalation in tensions between Florida officials and the organization, which is well-known for its “hate map” and tracking of extremist groups.
The investigation focuses on how the SPLC solicits money from Florida donors and whether those funds are being used as advertised. Specifically, the state is looking into an “informant program” mentioned by the SPLC’s own leadership in recent weeks.
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“The SPLC raises millions in charitable donations every year, while allegedly paying members and leaders within the very groups it purports to fight,” Attorney General 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, filed under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, demands 17 specific categories of information. These include:
- Records of all payments made to “informants” or individuals listed on the SPLC’s “Extremist Files.”
- Internal communications regarding whether the use of paid informants was disclosed to donors.
- Marketing materials used to solicit donations in Florida and records of how much money was raised in the state.
- Data on how the organization portrays its “hate map” and “Intelligence Project” to banks, credit card processors, and tech companies.
The state is also demanding that the SPLC reveal any changes made to its website regarding how donations are distributed.
According to the legal filing, the “informant” definition refers to individuals or entities involved in a program acknowledged by SPLC interim president and CEO Bryan Fair in an April 2026 press release.
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The SPLC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and the investigation includes a demand for all documents related to its non-profit status and licenses. Florida law allows for civil penalties of up to $5,000 for those who fail to comply with such investigative subpoenas or attempt to conceal relevant information.
The SPLC is commanded to produce the materials to Assistant Attorney General Edward Carter and Financial Investigator Eric Magnuson at the Consumer Protection Division in Fort Lauderdale.
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