SPLC pleads not guilty at arraignment; trial set for October 2026

SPLC Interim CEO Bryan Fair entered not guilty pleas on all 11 federal counts at the arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly F. Pate on May 7, 2026. Judge Pate set a tentative trial date of October 5, 2026. The SPLC maintained the informant program was a legitimate civil society intelligence operation that had provided law enforcement with actionable information to prevent extremist violence. Legal analysts at Just Security argued the indictment represented a novel use of fraud statutes against a nonprofit's investigative methodology.