The US Government has paid informants

Trump recent attack on the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is just another attack that is doomed to fail.

Why? The USA government has used the practice of paying informants for information forever. It's nothing new.

Here's some background, and links to numerous articles and information.

Both the FBI and CIA have a long history of using paid informants, often referred to in modern terminology by the FBI as Confidential Human Sources (CHS). These individuals are not official, trained employees, but are paid for information and expenses.
(Source: Time Magazine)

Key Facts Regarding Paid Informants:

Significant Expenditures: Between FY2012 and 2018, the FBI paid approximately $294 million to informants.

High-Earning Informants: Some informants have been paid significant sums, with some individuals making nearly $1 million or more for their services.

Types of Informants: Informants have included various individuals, including members of extremist groups, who are paid to infiltrate and provide information to the FBI.

Authorized Illegal Activity: In some cases, informants have been authorized to engage in illegal activities with the permission of their federal handlers to maintain their cover, a practice that has garnered scrutiny.

Historical Use: The FBI has used informants since its inception, and their use increased significantly post-9/11 to combat terrorism.
(Source: NPR)

Context on FBI Informants:
The FBI uses these sources for criminal investigation and intelligence gathering. While they are essential tools, their use has sometimes faced criticism and oversight. The agency operates under specific guidelines from the Attorney General to manage these relationships.
(Source FBI (.gov))

Context on CIA Informants:
The CIA, which operates outside the United States, uses human intelligence sources (HUMINT), which often involves paying foreign nationals for intelligence.
(Source Time Magazine)

Recent Developments:
A recent indictment revealed the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) paid informants to infiltrate hate groups, and these informants were often working for or providing information to federal agencies like the FBI.

A 2024 DOJ OIG report found that 26 FBI informants were present in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, although none were authorized to enter the Capitol.
(Source BBC)

FBI (.gov)
https://www.fbi.gov
What is the FBI's policy on the use of informants?
Although it is legally permissible for the FBI to use informants in its investigations, special care is taken to carefully evaluate and closely supervise their ...

NPR
https://www.npr.org
Terror Probes Have FBI's Informant Numbers Soaring - NPR
Aug 21, 2011 — Terror Probes: FBI's Informant Numbers Soaring : NPR. ... Terror Probes: FBI's Informant Numbers Soaring In today's post-9/11 world, the FBI has 15,000 informan...

Time Magazine
https://time.com
The FBI's Troubling History With Confidential Informants
Jun 7, 2023 — The FBI has used cooperators and informants since its founding. Historically, such people have worked ad hoc for the Bureau to escape legal jeopardy, or for pay...

BBC
https://www.bbc.com
FBI informants were at Capitol riot but no agents, watchdog finds - BBC
Dec 12, 2024 — FBI informants were at Capitol riot but no agents, watchdog finds * More than two dozen FBI informants were in Washington DC ahead of the riot at the US Capitol...

FBI (.gov)
https://www.fbi.gov
Are informants regular employees of the FBI?
No. Informants are individuals who supply information to the FBI on a confidential basis. They are not hired or trained employees of the FBI, although they may ...

Forbes
https://www.forbes.com
FBI And Other Agencies Paid Informants $548 Million In ...
Nov 18, 2021 — FBI And Other Agencies Paid Informants $548 Million In Recent Years With Many Committing Authorized Crimes. ByAdam Andrzejewski, Former Contributor. Nov 18, 202...

USA Today·Will Carless
https://www.usatoday.com
FBI: SPLC paid informants without donors knowing ...
Apr 22, 2026 — FBI: SPLC paid informants without donors knowing. Feds pay them too. ... FBI: SPLC paid informants without donors knowing. Feds pay them too. ... According to p...

TRT World
https://www.trtworld.com
Perversion of justice: US federal informants committed over ...
Nov 29, 2021 — The Inspector General (IG) at the Justice Department reported the findings. The FBI paid $294 million (2012-2018), an average of $42 million annually, with “lon...

Yahoo
https://www.yahoo.com
FBI: SPLC paid informants without donors knowing. Feds pay them too
Apr 22, 2026 — FBI: SPLC paid informants without donors knowing. Feds pay them too. ... “They used the fraudulently raised money, by lying to their donor network − thousands o...

sunsporter1649 · 70-79, M

A Grand Jury in Montgomery, Alabama, today returned an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) with 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama Northern Division filed two forfeiture actions to recover alleged proceeds of the organization’s fraud scheme. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated this case with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

“The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked. This Department of Justice will hold the SPLC and every other fraudulent organization operating with the same deceptive playbook accountable. No entity is above the law.”

“The SPLC allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "They lied to their donors, vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups, and actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups - even utilizing the funds to have these groups facilitate the commission of state and federal crimes. That is illegal – and this is an ongoing investigation against all individuals involved.”

The SPLC is a non-profit organization headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, whose mission, according to its website during the relevant time period, was to be a “catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.”

According to the indictment starting in the 1980s, the SPLC began operating a covert network of individuals who were either associated with violent and extremist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, or who had infiltrated violent extremist groups at the SPLC’s direction. Unbeknownst to donors, some of their donated money was being used to fund the leaders and organizers of racist groups at the same time that the SPLC was denouncing the same groups on its website.

“Donors gave their money believing they were supporting the fight against violent extremism,” said Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. “As alleged, the SPLC instead diverted a portion of those funds to benefit individuals and groups they claimed to oppose. That kind of deception undermines public trust and social cohesion.”

Between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to individuals who were associated with various violent extremist groups including:

Ku Klux Klan
United Klans of America
Unite the Right
National Alliance
National Socialist Movement
Aryan Nations affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club
National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party)
American Front
According to the indictment, the objective of the scheme and artifice was to obtain money via donations through materially false representations and omissions about what the donated funds would be used for.

In order to covertly pay the individuals, the SPLC opened bank accounts connected to a series of fictitious entities. The covert nature of the accounts allowed the SPLC to disguise the true nature, source, ownership, and control of the fraudulently obtained donated money the SPLC paid the individuals. In order to keep the scheme going, the SPLC made a series of false statements related to the operation of the accounts.

A conviction will result in the forfeiture of financial gains from the alleged illegal activities.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel made the announcement in Washington.

Pretzel · 70-79, M

you gotta wonder how much you can trust them

they lie for a living

and they only make money when they tell their clients what they want to hear