Phil Williams, an investigative reporter for NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, begins his X bio with, "Defending democracy. Confronting hate. Speaking truth to power & the angry mob." And now it turns out he's defending the SPLC, a hate group that was paying the leaders of other hate groups to gin up angry mobs. It's remarkable how many people are defending the SPLC after (not) reading the 11-count indictment. No, the SPLC wasn't indicted for paying people to infiltrate hate groups … it was paying the leaders of the hate groups. The SPLC paid $70,000 to Paul Mullet, the leader of the American Nazi Party. It looks like the SPLC bankrolled the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, as well.
The Daily Wire's Megan Basham has been very busy on X trying to set the record straight.
The SPLC says Focus on the Family is a dangerous hate group but antifa is doing important work that shouldn’t be critiqued.
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 23, 2026
And that is why leftwing media like @PhilNvestigates are desperate to defend them against charges that they paid leaders of the KKK and other white… https://t.co/esWATxiQAL
"… supremacist groups to organize protests and transport ppl to those protests."
Williams stepped in to defend the SPLC against accusations that it paid to transport people to protests.
Nowhere in the indictment does it say that SPLC paid people “to organize protests and transport ppl to those protests.” You are continuing to spread absolute fabrications. https://t.co/BDXBBoSNWv
— Phil Williams (@PhilNvestigates) April 23, 2026
The investigative reporter's source? His own article on a site called hatecomestomainstreet.com. Williams writes under the headline, "Lots of People Are Lying About the SPLC Indictment: Here's the Evidence":
What the indictment actually says
Instead, the details provided in the charges prepared by the Department of Justice are, by comparison, much tamer.
According to the indictment, one of the group’s informants was ONE “member of the online leadership chat group” that planned the “Unite the Right” rally. It claims the source “made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event for several attendees.”
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What was that? Helped coordinate transportation?
Oh my gosh I just remembered you YOURSELF admitted at the end of your SPLC apologia that they DID! So are you having a dementia episode this afternoon or what is going on? pic.twitter.com/090wnEnIGR
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 23, 2026
Yes Phil, your beloved SPLC, who you rely on for so much of your own reporting, paid the informant referred to as “F-37” more than $270,000 between 2015 and 2023.
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 23, 2026
This person was a member of the online leadership group that planned the Unite the Right rally and attended the… https://t.co/48iWYdJhHL pic.twitter.com/wyR0P7bA6p
The post continues:
… the event at the direction of the SPLC.
This person also, at the direction of the SPLC, coordinated transportation to the event.
Here you go. From NYT, which I assume you respect.
Your attempts to run cover for this fraud operation are pathetic.
The SPLC needs hate groups to keep the donations rolling in, and Williams needs hate groups to keep his little website going. No wonder he's defending the SPLC.
Why does @NC5 allow him to discredit their station like this??
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 23, 2026
You are so bad at this. pic.twitter.com/SgD8C1lKSg
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) April 23, 2026
You're beclowning yourself.
— JWF (@JammieWF) April 23, 2026
They’re proving that you are a despicable person who has spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars dividing our country, fomenting hate, and destroying families. I hope you’re proud of yourself.
— ElisaNYJM (@CaffMomREDACTED) April 23, 2026
As you've been spanked in the comments, I'd point out that they also paid people to commit burglary. pic.twitter.com/H1r7KqkZS1
— Jay Collinwood (@collinwood_j) April 23, 2026
Bring out the dry ramen guy!
— Urbanite (@Urbanite107) April 23, 2026
Dude, it’s right here. pic.twitter.com/8e0iVIYZgF
— Super Journalist (Retired) - JOURN-EL of Skrypton (@Magnum_CK) April 23, 2026
It is important to note that @PhilNvestigates is not a journalist, does not "defend democracy," "confront hate" or "speak truth to power." Phil is a propagandist who defends leftist Democrats, promotes their hate, speaks lies to everyone and incites angry mobs.
— Sneyob (@BoyensJC) April 23, 2026
Facts.
Phil, you should probably delete this post; it's killing all your remaining credibility, which is not much.
— SL55 AMG (@SL55AMG2005) April 23, 2026
— LuLu (@jllgraham) April 23, 2026
Gaslighting paid disinfo agents gonna keep gaslighting til they're indicted. Then they tend to shut up.
— Jack Wyrdsmyth (@wyrdsmyth) April 23, 2026
OK, but they only transported SEVERAL people! I'm not owned!
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Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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