'You're Under Oath—Remember That': Hageman Does Not Let Up On Southern Poverty Law Center CEO

[0:00] I want to thank you all for your patience. We have about a half an hour based on the number [0:04] of members yet to testify, so we'll move to that as quick as we can. And the general lady from [0:08] Wyoming is recognized. Thank you. For any business to remain profitable, there must be both supply [0:13] and demand. As for the Southern Poverty Law Center's business model, it needs to convince [0:18] people that there exists certain types of discrimination and hatred in the United States [0:22] and that it alone has the expertise to identify, target, and eradicate it. A lack of such [0:28] discrimination and hatred would render the SPLC's existence obsolete. And that is largely what has [0:35] happened in America. So what is a business to do when its very existence is threatened by a dramatic [0:40] decrease in the scourge that it exists to combat? What happens when racism, for example, is largely [0:46] a thing of the past? The brain trust at SPLC came up with their own unique solution to this conundrum. [0:53] They decided to fund the very hatred that they claim to be fighting against. And like magic, [0:58] the money has continued to roll in. In fact, advancing hatred has become quite profitable [1:04] for the SPLC. As in 2024, the organization had over $829 million in assets, an endowment of approximately [1:13] $738 million and $129 million in revenue. The bulk of this money comes from the contributions of the SPLC's donors, [1:22] contributions that the donors thought were made to, quote, confront hate, stand up to injustice, [1:28] and defend our civil and human rights, end quote. But that isn't the case at all. Instead of confronting hate, [1:35] standing up for justice, or defending civil and human rights, the SPLC has been funding the exact opposite, [1:41] with the added bonus of then using their donations to target right-leaning organizations such as the [1:47] Family Research Council and Turning Point USA, simply because they believe in traditional marriage [1:54] and the sanctity of the family unit, while also opposing abortion. Stated another way, SPLC has been [2:00] using its funds to attack those very organizations that actually do confront hate, stand for justice, [2:07] and defend civil and human rights. And the SPLC funded actual Nazis and white supremacists in order to do so. [2:15] In order to get away with the scam, the SPLC knew that it had to hide what it was doing. I mean, [2:21] who was going to donate to an organization that has actual Nazis on the payroll to organize astroturf rallies [2:28] to try to smear conservatives? The DOJ's superseding indictment filed on June 2nd approximates that between [2:35] 2010 and 2023, the SPLC fumbled 4.1 million in tax-exempt donor funds to various violent extremist [2:44] organizations, including the Aryan Nations, the National Socialist Movement, and the KKK, [2:50] via a series of fictitious accounts, and then committed bank fraud to cover it all up. [2:57] The indictment goes on to say that these donor funds were ultimately used for the growth and recruitment [3:02] of these organizations. The purchase of materials for cross burnings, that's despicable. And group [3:08] attire and the production of racist paraphernalia sold at rallies. That's really despicable. That's [3:13] gross. Mr. Fair, does the SPLC have any written policies to ensure that the payments you made to [3:20] these organizations were not used to incite violence or engage in other activities that contradicts [3:25] SPLC's public representations? Congresswoman Hageman, as I said earlier, all of the allegations [3:36] that you've... You have written policies to make sure that you're not funding the KKK. [3:40] We don't fund the KKK. Well, you do. Actually, that's what's in the... That's an allegation, [3:45] Congresswoman. Sure. Have you produced any of these materials to us? And we will discuss all of [3:49] those allegations. Have you produced those materials to this committee? What materials? Any materials, [3:54] written materials so that you are not to show that you have a policy in place to not fund hate groups [3:59] such as the KKK? SPLC's council is working with this committee's council to respond to your... Did [4:06] anyone at the SPLC ever raise any concerns about your practice of funding hate groups? We don't fund [4:13] hate groups. Why wasn't the SPLC... No, you're under oath. Remember that. You are under oath here today. I said [4:19] we don't fund hate groups. Okay. Except the $4.1 million that you gave to the KKK, the National [4:25] Socialist Movement, and the Aryan Nations. Congresswoman Hageman, those are allegations [4:30] that will be addressed... You're under oath. That will be addressed in the criminal case pending against [4:36] the SPLC. The SPLC also played a part in funding the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, [4:42] and you paid an organizer who drafted racist votes under the SPLC's supervision. You fomented the hate, [4:49] and then you made bank of it off of it. About $80 million in the following months after that rally. But you [4:55] didn't just make a ton of money that day. Three people actually died. Two police officers and a woman named [5:00] Heather Danielle Heyer. So from the standpoint of your business model, making money off of hatred, you must say [5:07] that that was actually a very successful day for the SPLC. Would you agree with that? SPLC doesn't foment [5:13] hate. Well, that day you did. I guess that I'm out of time. With that, I yield back.