Harris Blasts Figures Over SPLC Endorsement

Republican AL-02 Congressional candidate Hampton Harris is criticizing U.S. Representative Shomari Figures (D-AL-02) after the Democrat accepted an endorsement from the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund earlier this week.

The endorsement, announced April 27, included incumbent Figures and several members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Harris’ campaign quickly responded, raising concerns about the organization and its recent legal scrutiny.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an 11-count federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), alleging fraud and conspiracy tied to a long-running informant program involving extremist groups.

A federal grand jury in Montgomery returned the indictment on April 21, 2026. Prosecutors claim the organization directed more than $3 million between 2014 and 2023 to individuals connected to white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. The indictment further alleges those payments were not disclosed to donors or financial institutions.

At the center of the case, officials describe a network of paid confidential informants placed inside extremist organizations. Prosecutors allege the SPLC used shell companies and bank accounts to move funds and conceal the purpose of the transactions as part of the operation.

“Shomari Figures has proudly accepted the endorsement of an organization exposed for funding hate, racism, and breathtaking hypocrisy,” Harris said. “Alabama’s Second Congressional District is home to Montgomery, the cradle of the civil rights movement. Yet Representative Figures has aligned himself with a group accused of bankrolling the exact racist extremists that made the civil rights struggle necessary in the first place while it has also targeted traditional Catholic organizations as hate groups and smeared conservative groups like Turning Point USA. This is a disgraceful betrayal of our district’s proud history and an insult to every Alabamian.”

The SPLC Action Fund, a political advocacy arm of the SPLC, said in its announcement that Figures was being recognized for “advancing legislation that serves the interests of every American.” The group has long positioned itself as a watchdog against extremism, though it has also faced criticism from conservative leaders over its designations and political activity.

Harris, who is seeking to unseat Figures in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, framed the endorsement as part of a broader contrast between the two candidates.

“Voters in Alabama’s 2nd District have a clear choice this November,” Harris declared. “They can re-elect Congressman Figures, who has now embraced an indicted organization that funded hate groups, or they can send me to Congress as the Republican nominee to fight for unity and put Alabama families first.”

Alabama’s 2nd District, redrawn following a court-ordered process, now includes parts of Montgomery, the Wiregrass region, and surrounding communities. The changes have made the seat one of the more competitive congressional races in the State.

With control of the U.S. House expected to remain closely contested, the district is a significant battleground in the 2026 election cycle. Harris has campaigned on issues of tax policy, border security, school choice, and economic growth, while Figures, a first-term Democrat, has aligned with broader Democratic priorities in Congress.

Harris is currently unopposed in the May 19 Republican primary, and as such, is the presumptive nominee for the GOP.

For more information on Hampton Harris and his campaign, visit https://hamptonharrisforalabama.com.