Justice Department drops superceding indictment against Southern Poverty Law Center

The Department of Justice on Wednesday dropped a superseding indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

The SPLC was allegedly propping up hate groups it told donors it was trying to destroy, according to the indictment. The nonprofit paid "field sources", which it said were informants. 

The field sources allegedly used money to attend extremist rallies, host rallies, grow existing chapters, create new chapters, recruit, donate to extremist leaders, and pay living expenses, the indictment charges. 

The SPLC, according to the indictment, set up factious entities to fund the "field sources." The group paid over $1.2 million to one of the sources who was in a romantic relationship with an SPLC employee. Other funding went to other extremist groups, according to the indictment.