A high-ranking official at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been accused of directing over $1.2 million in donor funds to a confidential informant who infiltrated a neo-Nazi group, identified as the National Alliance. This informant was also reportedly in a romantic relationship with the official. The allegations were detailed in a superseding indictment filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on June 2, which claims that the SPLC has faced scrutiny for allegedly funding individuals associated with extremist groups it opposes publicly.
The SPLC's Intelligence Project director allegedly shared a residence with the informant and used a shell company to divert charitable funds to the partner. The indictment states that a significant portion of the funds ended up in a joint bank account used for their shared expenses. The director at the time, Heidi L. Beirich, served in the role from 2012 to 2019.
The indictment claims that the SPLC misled donors about the use of their contributions, stating that funds were intended to combat violent extremist groups while concealing that some were used to support extremist activities. Investigators traced approximately $140,000 from the SPLC's main operating account through the shell company to the couple's personal bank account, which constituted about two-thirds of the funds in their joint accounts.