Todd Blanche announces 11-count indictment over payments to informants in extremist groups including Ku Klux Klan

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

The Southern Poverty Law Center, the prominent civil rights organization, has been indicted on federal fraud charges related to past payments it made to confidential informants to infiltrate extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, the justice department has announced.

In a statement, Bryan Fair, the SPLC’s chief executive, called the allegations “false” and said the justice department’s actions “will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the civil rights movement becomes a reality for all”.