Brian Fair

Justice Department accuses the SPLC of fraudulently using some $3 million in donations to secretly pay informants in right-wing extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

Fair says the allegations are politically motivated and provably wrong,

and that information gathered from informants was used to dismantle hate groups.

Acting U.S.

Attorney Kevin Davidson says there's nothing vindictive about the prosecution.

Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Montgomery.

The Southern Poverty Law Center CEO Brian Fair says the focus of the investigation appears to be on the group's past use of confidential paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.

He says the SPLC used such informants to gather information on the activities of radical violent groups and often shared that info with state and federal law enforcement.

Now the DOJ investigation raises the prospect of possible charges against the civil rights group or some of its employees, he says.

Ferris says the SPLC will vigorously defend itself and its work.

There was no immediate comment from the Justice Department.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

Interim CEO Brian Fair says the Southern Poverty Law Center and some of its employees face possible criminal charges.

In a recorded video release, he says...

the federal probe appears to focus on the prior use of paid confidential informants to infiltrate extremist groups, and that the intelligence gathered was frequently shared with law enforcement, including the FBI.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to NPR's inquiry.

Some Republicans accused the center of unfairly labeling right-wing groups as extremists.

The SPLC is vowing to, quote, vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work at a time when it says the federal government has been weaponized to dismantle civil rights.

Debbie Elliott, NPR News.