Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) faced sharp rebuke on social media after making claims about the Southern Poverty Law Center's alleged role in the Charlottesville rally. During a podcast interview, Hageman asserted that the SPLC "funded and organized" the event in Charlottesville, Virginia, and claimed the nonprofit paid a participant involved in the death of Heather Heyer. Hageman's comments came after the Trump Department of Justice secured an indictment against the SPLC last week, alleging the organization committed 11 counts of wire and bank fraud related to its work infiltrating right-wing extremist groups.
Hageman stated that the SPLC gave "$270,000" to the organizer of the Charlottesville rally. She characterized the event as an SPLC operation and connected it to remarks made by President Trump about "good people on both sides" in Charlottesville. The SPLC has denied the allegations in the indictment, specifically rejecting claims that it failed to disclose to donors how their money was being used.
Political observers and Democratic figures quickly disputed Hageman's characterization. Fred Wellman, a Democratic candidate for office in Missouri, wrote on X that the claims were "just disgusting lies," noting that his son-in-law served as a National Guard member during the event and that "it was the Nazis and racists that organized it."
David Gaines, a composer, referenced Hageman's replacement of former Representative Liz Cheney in Congress, posting on X: "This is the genius who replaced Liz Cheney in Congress." Norman Ornstein, a political scientist, added that Wyoming's choice of Hageman over Cheney constituted "an embarrassment to decency."
Hageman posted her claims on X on May 3, 2026, as part of her defense of the administration's position on the SPLC indictment.
