A lot of Democrats, as well as members of the media (we know, same thing), apparently learned everything they know about the 11-count indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center from USA TODAY's post on X:
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
Did you ask the SPLC to ghostwrite this? Are you by chance high? Serious questions.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 22, 2026
It's amazing that USA TODAY's post is still up, because it's factually wrong. The SPLC was not indicted for paying sources to infiltrate hate groups (and it's not a federal law enforcement agency, either). The SPLC was indicted on six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The SPLC wasn't paying people to infiltrate hate groups — it was paying the hate groups directly.
Former senator and 2026 Alabama gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones didn't think it was enough to display his ignorance through text alone, so he also shot a video further embarrassing himself.
Charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with a federal crime for paying informants to help dismantle hate groups is an outrageous weaponization of the Dept of Justice and the FBI. As someone who has been a prosecutor and has taken on the Klan I can tell you that use of paid… pic.twitter.com/MgZMCESbNa
— Doug Jones (@DougJones) April 23, 2026
The post continues:
… informants is a common tactic used to dismantle drug cartels, the mob and extremist groups on both the right and the left. It is clear that all civil rights organizations are in the cross hairs of this Administration and that folks, puts everyone at risk.
As someone who has been a prosecutor, Jones should have known enough to read the indictment before rushing to the video camera.
The SPLC is a charity who pays ZERO taxes. They are NOT a federal agency.
— Savannah Insights 🎙️ (@BasedSavannah) April 23, 2026
It is ILLEGAL for charities to STEAL donor money and use it to INCITE violence and illegal activity.
Are you insane? Do you support the KKK? pic.twitter.com/8Lcz2y619X
Yes, please, everyone, rush in to defend the SPLC against this.
They haven't been charged for paying informants, you moron.
— Frank フランク (@richardrahl1086) April 23, 2026
Read the indictment. These weren't "informants." The SPLC was creating these events out of whole cloth.
— Tea Party Barbie (@laurahollis61) April 23, 2026
Stop. Only the government can authorize illegal activity from "informants."
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) April 23, 2026
The SPLC is not the government.
Son, and I mean this in the most condescending way possible, the SPLC is not law enforcement.
— AmishDude (@TheAmishDude) April 23, 2026
“use of paid informants is a common tactic used to dismantle drug cartels”
— Warren Redlich - Chasing Dreams 🇺🇸 (@WR4NYGov) April 23, 2026
By police and prosecutors, not by charities you commie
You're a liar.
— Bonk (@BonkPolitics) April 23, 2026
Full stop.
Paying an informant $500 for a tip, maybe OK. Paying the organizers millions makes you the money-man behind racism and extremism. Setting up shell companies to funnel the payments through is wire fraud.
— Howard Notelling (@BluegrassPundit) April 23, 2026
Eat sh*t, Doug. Your false equvalency here is embarassing at best.
— AwakenedOutlaw⚒️ (@AwakenedOutlaw) April 23, 2026
Weird. I didn't know that the SPLC is a law enforcement agency.
— David P Deavel (@davidpdeavel) April 23, 2026
As a former prosecutor, you of all people should know that only the government has the authority to pay informants to inform on criminals.
— Skeptical Stoic (@StoicSkeptic) April 23, 2026
In other words, you should delete your post before you embarrass yourself any further.
How are you “paying informants to help dismantle hate groups” when you’re paying the leaders of the hate group and providing travel logistics and expenses for the hate group.
— Winter_Rewind (@WinterRewind) April 23, 2026
Isn’t that FUNDING the hate group?
You could have kept quiet instead of sounding like a fool. 🙄
— Tom Gresham (@Guntalk) April 23, 2026
"As someone who has been a prosecutor and has taken on the Klan," you should be glad to know that the SPLC won't be funding the Klan anymore, and you'd think you'd be embarrassed that you were had. But instead, you're defending them.
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Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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