MLK’s pro-Trump niece makes wild claim as GOP seeks to end SPLC’s tax-exempt status
Dr. Alveda King, a frequent Fox News guest, was a witness at the House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Ryan Cooper 
The niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King, delivered a series of explosive claims during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing regarding the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). During the session, titled “Manufacturing Hate,” King suggested that the SPLC funded individuals responsible for bombings, characterizing the organization's alleged activities as a form of “fraud.”
Tensions Flare on Capitol Hill
The scrutiny of the SPLC follows a federal indictment that alleges the organization secretly provided funding to hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. When questioned by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., about evidence to support her claims that the SPLC pays for both the commission of bombings and the subsequent response, King admitted she did not have personal evidence but insisted the practice was occurring. Raskin repeatedly pressed for proof, ultimately telling King, “You’re asserting a lot of things under oath and you haven’t brought the evidence with you.”
Allegations of Financial Misconduct
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, leveled his own criticisms against the SPLC during the hearing. Jordan claimed the organization’s income surged significantly following the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, asserting that the group effectively exploited the event for financial gain. Jordan remarked, “You run a scam, you become the standard, you don’t get prosecuted and you make a ton of money.”
SPLC Response
SPLC Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair addressed the committee, emphasizing that the organization’s informants gathered intelligence used by law enforcement, including the FBI, to save lives. While Fair did not address specific allegations regarding field sources during the testimony, he provided a statement to 205focus.com following the hearing: “We are outraged by the false allegations levied against SPLC – an organization that for 55 years has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice.”
Fair added that the SPLC intends to vigorously defend itself in the ongoing criminal case, maintaining that its work is vital to the pursuit of justice. Despite the defense, calls to strip the SPLC of its tax-exempt status are intensifying, with public pressure mounting from conservative figures including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and organizations such as Moms of Liberty.
