A leading figure in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s criminal case said the group exaggerated “hate” group data to sway law enforcement, court records show.

An FBI source called “Individual-1” described the Alabama nonprofit group’s alleged efforts to gain power during his employment in a June interview, according to a transcript released Nov. 2 by SPLC codefendant Heidi Beirich’s lawyers. The SPLC changed its signature “Hate Map” over time to treat singular hate groups as multiple, said the source, who oversaw the SPLC’s undercover informant program.

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