SPLC CEO stepped down after staff revolt as DOJ probe now targets group

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is facing federal fraud allegations less than a year after a staff revolt triggered a leadership shakeup that has plagued the organization ever since.

The Justice Department accused nonprofit civil rights organizations of using paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups and funneling money to extremist groups; The organization is now allegedly vehemently contesting this claim.

Margaret Huang, who led the SPLC, resigned last July after 92 percent of staff supported a no-confidence vote months earlier. Las Vegas Sun. The center reportedly laid off approximately 80 employees (about 25% of the workforce) in June 2024.

Huang in question He resigned because he could not care for his parents and could not meet the demands of the job. The SPLC told him to “prioritize family life” when he left after five years in office.

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The break in leadership exposed deep tensions between staff and senior management at the Montgomery, Alabama-based group known for its civil rights causes and racial justice advocacy.

Bryan Fair, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Alabama and former chairman of the SPLC board of directors, took over as interim president and CEO following Huang’s departure.

Fair has since taken responsibility for the organization’s response to the Justice Department’s allegations. The group faces federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering related to its past use of paid informants.

“This use of reporters was necessary because we are no strangers to threats of violence,” Fair said in a video message this week, pushing back on the allegations and framing the investigation as politically motivated.

“For 55 years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has stood as a beacon of hope, fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multiracial democracy in which we can all live and thrive. So we are not surprised to be the latest organization targeted by this administration.”

He added that the SPLC “frequently shares what we learn from whistleblowers with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI.”

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SPLC interim President and CEO Bryan Fair speaks during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Southern Poverty Law Center Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Ala., on March 5, 2026. (Jake Crandall/Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK, via Imagn Images)

“We will vigorously defend ourselves, our employees and our work,” Fair said.

Huang’s high-profile departure marked the latest leadership turmoil at the SPLC.

The organization experienced major upheaval in 2019 when it fired co-founder and chief trial counsel Morris Dees and removed him from the board, triggering a broader restructuring, according to the SPLC.

That overhaul led to Huang becoming the organization’s first permanent president and CEO under a new leadership model, according to the SPLC. Huang currently serves as a senior advisor to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of civil rights organizations.

Dees’ dismissal followed internal allegations of misconduct and workplace culture concerns, including allegations of racial discrimination and harassment, according to multiple reports. He was not charged with any crime.

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2026, following the indictment by the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Nathan Posner/Anatolia via Getty Images)

Dees founded the SPLC in 1971 with civil rights attorney Joseph Levin Jr. Civil rights leader Julian Bond also served as the SPLC’s first president.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the SPLC and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for comment.