Southern Poverty Law Center says Justice Department is investigating its work with informants

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

(CNN) — The Southern Poverty Law Center said in a statement Tuesday that it is under investigation by the Justice Department for its use of paid informants.

The statement from CEO Bryan Fair said that he believes the organization may face criminal charges.

“Although we don’t know all the details, the focus appears to be on the SPLC’s prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups,” the SPLC statement said.

The Justice Department did not have an immediate comment.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has for decades acted as nonprofit advocacy and litigation organization focused on combatting white supremacy and extremist groups. Republicans have long criticized the nonprofit for what some say is acting as a far-left entity that targets conservative organizations and individuals.

Fair said that the Southern Poverty Law Center uses its paid informants to “infiltrate” extremist groups and learn about their activities and guard against violent threats. They often shared insight with law enforcement, he added, but did not share the intel widely to protect the informants’ identities.

“We stood in the vanguard then, and we stand in the vanguard today,” Fair said. “We will not be intimidated into silence or contrition, and we will not abandon our mission or the communities we serve.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Bryan Fair’s name.

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