Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 11
Rep. Mark Harris Urges IRS to Revoke SPLC 501(c)(3) Status Over $4 Million Fraud Claims
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 11

Rep. Mark Harris Urges IRS to Revoke SPLC 501(c)(3) Status Over $4 Million Fraud Claims

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 11

Summary

  • Mark Harris asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to direct the IRS to review and revoke the Southern Poverty Law Center’s tax-exempt status, arguing the nonprofit no longer operates as a charitable 501(c)(3).
  • Harris said the case rests on two claims: that SPLC’s “Hate Map” unfairly brands conservative groups as extremists, and that a DOJ indictment alleges $4 million in donor money was funneled through shell companies to support KKK-linked activity.
  • His letter says tax-exempt groups cannot engage in partisan political activity and cites SPLC’s treatment of organizations such as Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom while allegedly ignoring left-wing groups including Antifa and Jane’s Revenge.
  • Harris also tied SPLC to broader conservative grievances, including Biden-era monitoring of “radical traditionalist Catholics,” which Republicans say relied on SPLC guidance.
  • SPLC has denied the DOJ allegations and did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment; Bessent has said Treasury will follow the law.

Insights

How will this case redefine the legal boundary between nonprofit advocacy and criminal fraud?
What ethical rules should govern how watchdog groups use informants and public blacklists?