Texas Representative Chip Roy is escalating his confrontation with the Southern Poverty Law Center, introducing legislation that would revoke the organization’s tax‑exempt status as federal investigators examine allegations that the group routed millions of dollars to extremist organizations through fictitious accounts. The proposal marks one of the most aggressive congressional challenges the SPLC has faced in years.
Roy previewed the move during a contentious oversight hearing on Tuesday, where he pressed interim SPLC chief executive Bryan Fair about the group’s designation of mainstream conservative organizations as “extremists.” A day later, he unveiled the bill. “The SPLC has built a business in smearing Christian conservatives and profiting from labeling its ideological opponents as ‘extremists’ and ‘hate groups,’” Roy said in a statement. He added that “Tax-exempt status should be reserved for charitable organizations serving the public good — not groups engaged in partisan political warfare.”
The legislation, titled the Stop SPLC Act, would revoke the organization’s 501(c)(3) status, eliminating the tax benefits associated with charitable contributions. “The Stop SPLC Act would simply revoke the SPLC’s tax-exempt status and end the special tax benefits it has enjoyed for far too long,” Roy said.
The SPLC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The bill arrives as the organization faces mounting legal scrutiny. Federal prosecutors allege the SPLC funneled $4.1 million in donor funds to extremist groups — including the Ku Klux Klan and the United Klans of America — between 2010 and 2023. According to investigators, the money was routed through fabricated accounts and concealed through bank fraud. Prosecutors say some of the funds were used for recruitment and for purchasing materials such as wood for cross burnings and KKK paraphernalia.
The SPLC has defended its informant program, saying it “saved lives,” while Fair has denied wrongdoing and declined to discuss details of the allegations during Tuesday’s hearing.
The organization’s finances have drawn attention from lawmakers as well. Representative Harriet Hageman said the SPLC’s assets totaled more than $829 million in 2024, with an endowment of roughly $730.8 million and $120.9 million in revenue. “Advancing hatred has become quite profitable for the SPLC,” she said, arguing that donors were unaware of how their contributions were used.
The SPLC’s “hate map,” which lists groups it labels as extremist, has long been a flashpoint. Conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA, the Family Research Council, and Moms for Liberty appear alongside neo‑Nazi and White supremacist groups. During the hearing, Roy pressed Fair on why the SPLC had not listed left‑wing or anti‑Jewish groups. “How many leftist anti-Jewish groups do you have listed on your website?” he asked. “How many extremist Islamic groups do you have?” Fair did not name any.
Fair defended the decision to list Turning Point USA, saying, “It is our position that TPUSA expresses views and vilifies other people based on immutable characteristics, exposing them to our listing.” Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk responded on social media, saying the group has “stood for open conversations and respectful debate regardless of creed or color.”
Roy has previously introduced legislation to revoke the tax‑exempt status of the Council on American‑Islamic Relations, though that measure stalled in committee. His new bill targeting the SPLC is expected to spark debate as Congress weighs the future of politically active nonprofit organizations and the standards governing their tax‑exempt status.
