作者：安德鲁·古兹沃德
2026年8月12日 美国东部时间晚上9:08 更新于2小时前
2025年4月23日摄插图中可见美国司法部徽章与美国国旗。路透社/达多·鲁维奇/插图 购买授权，打开新标签页
华盛顿，8月12日（路透社）——美国司法部已对南方贫困法律中心前首席财务官提起刑事起诉，进一步推进针对这个知名民权组织的案件。
海蒂·贝里奇面临三项联邦指控，包括电信诈骗共谋、共谋向银行提交虚假陈述，以及共谋洗钱。目前检察官正就该中心利用付费线人渗透极右翼组织的做法扩大对南方贫困法律中心的起诉范围。
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检方指控贝里奇开设与虚构实体相关的银行账户，以隐瞒资金来源。起诉书还指控贝里奇与一名卧底线人存在恋爱关系，且捐款流入联名账户，用于支付两人的个人生活开支。
司法部长托德·布兰奇在一场无关的新闻发布会上对记者表示，这些指控涉及“未按所描述的真实用途向个人付款”。
贝里奇的律师迈克尔·普罗克特表示，这些指控“毫无根据”，提起诉讼是因为特朗普政府反对南方贫困法律中心。普罗克特称，贝里奇已于自愿周三出庭，并计划对这些指控进行抗辩。
“我们认为针对她和南方贫困法律中心的指控具有政治动机，贝里奇博士因开展打击仇恨团体和极端分子的重要工作而成为本案目标，”普罗克特在一份声明中说道。
特朗普政府治下的司法部于今年4月就南方贫困法律中心的线人项目对其提起诈骗指控。检方指控该组织以虚假借口筹款，欺骗捐款人，并使用虚假实体隐瞒付款资金来源。
该组织已提出无罪抗辩，其律师辩称，此案是对南方贫困法律中心批评特朗普政府及其将某些保守派和右翼组织贴上仇恨团体标签的举动进行报复。
南方贫困法律中心长期以来一直追踪政治极端分子，并表示已将通过线人项目获取的信息分享给联邦调查局和其他执法机构。
blob:https://www.reuters.com/7deba668-9e44-4904-85af-e81f497dd985
美国地区法官艾米丽·马克斯周五驳回了南方贫困法律中心以报复性起诉为由驳回此案的请求，使得该案更有可能进入审判程序。
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安德鲁·古兹沃德报道
迈克尔·利尔蒙特与罗德·尼克尔编辑
我们的准则：汤森路透信托原则
US Justice Department charges former Southern Poverty Law Center executive in fraud scheme
By Andrew Goudsward
August 12, 2026 9:08 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago
United States Department of Justice logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department has secured a criminal indictment against the former chief financial officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center, adding to its case against the prominent civil rights group.
Heidi Beirich is facing three federal counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to submit false statements to a bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering as prosecutors expand their prosecution of the SPLC over its use of paid informants to infiltrate far-right organizations.
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Prosecutors allege Beirich opened bank accounts connected to fictitious entities to disguise the source of the funds. The indictment also alleges Beirich was in a romantic relationship with one of the undercover informants and that donor money flowed into a joint account that was used to pay the couple’s personal living expenses.
Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking to reporters at an unrelated press conference, said the allegations relate to “payments to individuals for reasons that were not accurate as described.”
Michael Proctor, a lawyer for Beirich, said the charges are “without merit” and were brought because of the Trump administration’s opposition to the SPLC. Proctor said Beirich voluntarily appeared in court on Wednesday and plans to fight the allegations.
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“We believe the charges against her and the SPLC are politically motivated, and Dr. Beirich has been targeted in this case because of the important work she has done to combat hate groups and extremists,” Proctor said in a statement.
The Justice Department under Trump brought fraud charges against the SPLC in April over the group’s informant program. Prosecutors allege the organization defrauded its donors by raising money under false pretenses and used fake entities to disguise the source of the payments.
The organization has pleaded not guilty and its lawyers have argued the case was brought as retribution for the SPLC’s criticism of the Trump administration and its moves to label certain conservative and right-wing organizations as hate groups.
The SPLC has long tracked political extremists and has said it shared information it learned through the informant program with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
blob:https://www.reuters.com/7deba668-9e44-4904-85af-e81f497dd985
U.S. District Judge Emily Marks on Friday rejected the SPLC’s attempt to have the case thrown out as a vindictive prosecution, making it more likely it will go to trial.
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Reporting by Andrew Goudsward. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Rod Nickel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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