As you know, on Tuesday night, FBI Director Kash Patel announced an 11-count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center. Charges include wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Media outlets like USA TODAY have been doing their best to misinterpret the charges:
The Southern Poverty Law Center was indicted for paying sources to infiltrate hate groups, a tactic federal agencies have used for decades. https://t.co/flekWop4XX
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 22, 2026
CNN's post wasn't any better.
Southern Poverty Law Center indicted in federal court over alleged use of paid informants to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groupshttps://t.co/qQ70N2kzap
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 21, 2026
They didn't infiltrate anything, THEY FUNDED IT.
— Brent Camponi (@Brent_Camponi) April 22, 2026
CNN's post gave just enough disinformation to bait rubes like Georgia Recorder columnist Jay Bookman:
So ... it's now a federal crime to infiltrate and expose white supremacist groups?
— Jay Bookman (@jaysbookman) April 21, 2026
White supremacist groups are a protected class under this administration? https://t.co/Rf08VONUkp
No, moron.
The SPLC was funding the KKK. I wouldn’t call it ‘investigating’. pic.twitter.com/LYhykccWmh
— @amuse (@amuse) April 22, 2026
Here, practice reading. pic.twitter.com/2J2G9zeWl8
— MJ Tomko (@Tomko_1) April 22, 2026
Well it's a crime to tell people you are fighting racism while you are funding it (fraud), setting up shell corporations to make the payments (money laundering) and making false statements of federal banking forms. Hope that helps, Pookie.
— Lady Hecate 🇺🇲 (@hecate40) April 22, 2026
Recommended
No, but it’s a crime to present yourself as an opposing hate groups, then place their leadership on the payroll to mount false flag operations to keep the money rolling in. Straight up fraud. Under all administrations. Dope.
— Mister Knauf 👹🌎 (@daniel_knauf) April 22, 2026
They weren’t charged with infiltrating and exposing a white supremacist group. They were charged with assorted fraud and money laundering based charges. Shouldn’t someone who claimed be a journalist be more honest and ethical than you are?
— Silence Dogood (@lordthx1139) April 22, 2026
It would be one thing to infiltrate, which would still be the purview of law enforcement, but to pay white supremacists and then commit bank fraud and wire fraud? Lol
— Against the Feed (@AgainstTheFeed) April 22, 2026
Why do you suppose the SPLC (allegedly) took actions to hide the payments?
— SanchoPanzy (@SanchoPanzy) April 22, 2026
You might want to read the indictment in a little more detail in order to understand the actual charges
— Boris Bartlog (@BorisBartlog) April 22, 2026
It's a crime to use donations to fund agitators in those groups to commit attacks to "prove" it's a problem.
— Marvel (@marcvelitrae) April 22, 2026
how much were you paid to use the same messaging that every other paid mouthpiece posted?
— CrawD (@Crawbaddy) April 22, 2026
or are you actually this impressionable (i.e. stupid), doing it for free in spite of the detailed indictment describing what is obviously illegal activity?
When you are a non profit you have to duty to disclose how you are spending donations. And you can’t create that which you are claiming to be fighting against.
— The Great Gats🐝 (@Gardyloo_Alert) April 22, 2026
You can’t clean up this pig.
Why don’t you say what the actual crime is instead of posting this drivel?
— GT Rules! (@NotRules314) April 22, 2026
To be fair, CNN's post was meant to confuse the intellectually feeble, just as USA TODAY's was. And it worked.
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