Lawyers for the Southern Poverty Law Center will appear in court Thursday for the first time since the civil rights group was charged with defrauding donors by failing to disclose that money would be paid to informants inside extremist groups. The grand jury indictment filed April 21 by the U.S. Justice Department is an extraordinary strike against the Alabama-based organization, which works to combat discrimination and racism particularly in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The SPLC denies wrongdoing, and no individual is charged. The group has drawn criticism from conservatives including FBI Director Kash Patel , especially after it included Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA in a report about “hate and extremism.” Kirk was killed during a Utah college appearance in 2025. Supporters say the SPLC is being unfairly targeted by the Trump administration for its civil rights triumphs.…