Trump Claims SPLC Lawsuit Could Invalidate 2020 Election Results

Former President Donald Trump asserted on Truth Social that a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) could retroactively invalidate the 2020 presidential election results.

“The Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the greatest political scams in American History, has been charged with FRAUD,” Trump wrote early Friday. “This is another Democrat Hoax, along with Act Blue, and many others,” he added, referencing the Democratic fundraising platform. “If it is true, the 2020 Presidential Election should be permanently wiped from the books and be of no further force or effect!”

Trump’s claim contradicts the established outcome of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden. The lawsuit against the SPLC does not pertain to election interference.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment against the SPLC on Tuesday, accusing the group of “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

The Montgomery-based SPLC, founded in 1971, emerged to combat white supremacist groups in the aftermath of the civil rights movement. Historically, the organization collaborated with law enforcement, sharing intelligence to dismantle hate groups. However, its reputation has increasingly faced criticism from conservative figures, who argue its work is partisan.

The indictment includes 11 counts against the SPLC, such as:

• Six counts of wire fraud
• Conspiracy to conceal money laundering
• Charges related to allegedly falsified bank statements

Legal observers note that the charges may be difficult to substantiate in court.

In a statement, SPLC CEO Bryan Fair defended the organization’s use of informants to monitor extremist threats. “When we began working with informants, we were living in the shadow of the height of the Civil Rights Movement, which had seen bombings at churches, state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and the murders of activists that went unanswered by the justice system,” Fair said. “There is no question that what we learned from informants saved lives.”