Ex-Southern Poverty Law Center official charged in broader criminal case against group, lawyer says

Aug 12, 2026, 11:50 AM

FILE - Heidi Beirich, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaks during the Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center in New York, April 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Southern Poverty Law Center official has been charged in the Department of Justice’s broader criminal case against the Alabama-based civil rights group, a lawyer for the ex-official said Wednesday.

Heidi Beirich, a political extremism expert who served as the law center’s chief financial officer, was expected to make her initial court appearance in Riverside, California, later in the day.

The group has been a frequent target of attacks by conservative critics who claim the nonprofit is politically biased.

An SPLC spokesperson had no immediate comment.