Former SPLC Official Arrested on Federal Fraud Charges
Heidi Beirich a former Southern Poverty Law Center official was arrested on federal fraud charges related to alleged payments made to informants inside white supremacist groups.
Prosecutors say she oversaw the use of donor funds for these payments including substantial sums directed through shell companies. Authorities further allege she shared a romantic relationship and bank accounts with one of the informants.
The arrest in California forms part of a broader Justice Department case involving wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering claims against the organization.
Beirich previously directed the center’s intelligence project tracking hate groups and left the organization years earlier.
