Moore Presses SPLC on Donor Transparency

U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-AL-01) sharply questioned Southern Poverty Law Center Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair during a House Judiciary Committee hearing this week, raising concerns about the organization's fundraising practices and the use of donor funds.

The hearing — “The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II“ — examined allegations surrounding the Montgomery-based nonprofit's former informant program and ongoing legal challenges facing the organization.

Moore's remarks focused on a civil investigation launched by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and whether donors were fully informed about how their contributions could be used.

“Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has opened a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center under the Alabama Consumer Protection Act. The subpoena asks a straightforward question. When Alabama donors gave money to fight hate, were they told the truth about where that money could go?” Moore said.

Marshall announced the investigation in May, stating that his office is examining whether the SPLC engaged in deceptive fundraising practices under Alabama law. The probe followed a federal indictment alleging fraud, false statements, and money laundering related to the organization's informant program. The SPLC has denied wrongdoing and has challenged the allegations.

During his questioning, Moore also criticized the SPLC's long-running practice of labeling organizations and individuals through its Hatewatch program.

“Southern Poverty Law Center has spent years putting labels on other people. It has even used Hate Watch to target me,” Moore said.

Moore argued that he was included in SPLC reporting because he displayed the Appeal to Heaven flag outside his congressional office.

“As a matter of fact, I think the reason I'm on the list, and there's 11 congressmen on this list, is because we simply put a flag in front of our office that encouraged people to pray for this nation. It's called the Appeal to Heaven flag. Somehow or another, I became a hateful person, and I was put on a Hate Watch list simply because I put a flag up that encouraged one of the founding flags of this nation to encourage our country to pray for our leaders...”

Fair appeared before the committee amid growing scrutiny of the SPLC's former intelligence-gathering activities. Republican lawmakers repeatedly questioned whether donor funds were used to pay informants connected to extremist organizations. Fair defended the organization and denied that the SPLC funds hate groups, while declining to address many specifics because of ongoing litigation.

The June 9 hearing marked the second House Judiciary Committee hearing this year focused on the SPLC and its activities. Committee leaders said lawmakers are examining whether the organization misled donors and exaggerated domestic extremist threats while operating its informant network.

The SPLC has maintained that its informant program was designed to monitor extremist organizations and provide information to law enforcement. The organization has called the federal case against it politically motivated and has vowed to contest the allegations in court.

Rep. Moore's full remarks can be seen here.