By Midtown Tribune News Desk
June 2026
Rep. Jim Jordan appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity to discuss explosive allegations involving the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Biden-era Department of Justice, and claims that federal officials relied on SPLC classifications while the organization was allegedly connected to a broader controversial scheme.
The Fox News segment, titled “Rep Jim Jordan: This was worse than we thought,” focused on Jordan’s criticism of the Biden White House, the Biden Justice Department, and the role he says the SPLC played in shaping federal standards on extremism and “hate group” designations.
Jordan argued that one of the most troubling parts of the matter was the relationship between Biden administration officials and the SPLC.
“For me, the biggest takeaway is the fact that the Biden White House and the Biden Justice Department helped make the Southern Poverty Law Center the standard,” Jordan said during the interview.
According to Jordan, senior Justice Department officials met with SPLC representatives regularly. He also claimed that then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco met with the organization and that SPLC materials were used in Justice Department and FBI-related work.
Jordan specifically referenced the controversial FBI memo involving “traditionalist Catholics,” saying that the SPLC was cited in that document. He argued that this showed how the Biden administration relied on SPLC classifications in a way that unfairly targeted Americans with conservative or religious views.
Jordan Raises Questions About Possible Fraud
During the interview, Hannity asked Jordan what possible crimes investigators may be reviewing. Jordan responded by saying that, in his view, the issues could involve money laundering, shell organizations, bank fraud, wire fraud and possible fraud against donors.
Jordan emphasized that people remain innocent until proven guilty, but he argued that the allegations deserve serious investigation.
He claimed that donors may not have been told the full truth about how some organizations or individuals were being used, promoted or paid. According to Jordan, this created a situation in which certain people were publicly presented as extremists while allegedly being connected financially to the same network criticizing them.
“That’s the game they were winning, never telling their donors this scheme that they were up to,” Jordan said.
Biden DOJ Criticized for Not Bringing Charges
Jordan also questioned why the Biden Justice Department did not bring charges if officials were aware of the issues under investigation.
He suggested that the reason was political and institutional: the same Justice Department that allegedly knew about the matter was also relying on the SPLC as a source and bringing SPLC representatives into training or advisory roles.
Jordan argued that this created a conflict because the DOJ could not easily prosecute an organization it had helped elevate as a standard-setter on extremism.
“The sad thing about all this is it worked,” Jordan said, claiming that the organization’s revenue increased substantially after major national controversies involving extremism.
Congressional Hearing Planned
Jordan said that the House Judiciary Committee planned to hold a hearing the following week, with the executive director of the Southern Poverty Law Center expected to answer questions from lawmakers.
The hearing, according to Jordan, would examine the organization’s relationship with federal officials and the broader questions raised by the investigation.
The controversy comes as Republicans continue to scrutinize the Biden administration’s use of federal law enforcement, civil rights enforcement and domestic extremism frameworks. Jordan and other GOP lawmakers have argued that federal agencies under President Biden used outside advocacy groups and ideologically driven standards to pressure conservative, religious and pro-life Americans.
Supporters of the SPLC and similar organizations have long argued that tracking extremist groups is necessary for public safety and civil rights enforcement. Critics, however, say those classifications can be politicized and used to silence lawful speech or religious belief.
The Fox News discussion reflects a larger political fight over federal power, nonprofit influence and whether government agencies should rely on outside advocacy groups when identifying domestic threats.
For Jordan, the key question is whether the Biden Justice Department knowingly relied on a flawed standard — and whether Congress can now expose how that relationship shaped federal policy.
Source
U.S. Department of Justice: Federal Grand Jury Charges Southern Poverty Law Center for Wire Fraud, False Statements, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and House Judiciary Committee: Chairman Jordan Requests Documents about Southern Poverty Law Center Paying Extremists
https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-jordan-requests-documents-about-southern-poverty-law-center-paying DOJ Office of the Inspector General: 120-Day Review of the FBI Richmond Memo
https://oig.justice.gov/news/doj-oig-issues-results-congressionally-required-120-day-review-creation-and-content-fbi House Judiciary Committee Hearing: The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II
https://judiciary.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/southern-poverty-law-center-manufacturing-hate-part-ii
Fox News Clips video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7F_GDM6SWc
www.justice.gov