Fraud charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center are part of a “farcical” and “retributive” White House campaign to silence political opposition, the civil rights group said in a motion to dismiss filed May 26. SPLC, which monitors and reports…
SPLC pleads not guilty to feds’ fraud charges
The Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty to 11 fraud-related charges and is tentatively set to face trial Oct. 5 in an Alabama federal court. SPLC Interim President Bryan Fair entered the plea May 7 to the indictment handed…
Criminalizing truth
I have spent much of my life working at the intersection of faith and public life, often in rooms where people insist religion should stay out of politics. I understand why. Faith has been used to divide, to dominate, to…
SPLC fights back claiming Blanche lied to grand jury
The Southern Poverty Law Center filed two motions in federal court in response to a federal indictment accusing the civil rights organization of fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice claims the group, which tracks and reports on hate groups, misled…
Partisan attack on SPLC is an attack on First Amendment, Tyler warns
The federal government’s move against Southern Poverty Law Center is also an attack on religious pluralism, freedom of conscience and First Amendment safeguards for all American people and religious communities, said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for…
FBI cuts ties with SPLC and Anti-Defamation League
A pressure campaign by billionaire Elon Musk and conservative Christian groups has succeeded: The FBI said Oct. 5 it no longer will work with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, two groups that monitor extremism, Associated Press…
‘We don’t hate, but they do,’ conservative Christian activists claim
When conservative Christian activist groups are called hateful or placed on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map, they claim innocence and reverse the charge: “The real haters are those people who say we’re hateful.” “You are not hateful or…
Focus on the Family, Turning Point protest ‘hate’ listing by SPLC
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest annual “Year in Hate” report documents 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups in the U.S., including three new groups beloved by conservative evangelicals: Focus on the Family, Turning Point USA and PragerU. Focus on…
Conservative group’s new ‘Hate Map’ targets ‘woke’ liberals
For decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center has published an annual census and “Hate Map” showing where domestic hate groups operate. Its 2023 map tracked more than 1,430 groups promoting racial hate, antisemitism and extremism. Founded in 1971, SPLC originally…
Evangelical groups cheer layoffs at Southern Poverty Law Center
“Do not gloat when your enemy falls,” advises Proverbs. “When they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.” But conservative Christians couldn’t help gloating over layoffs and program cuts at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the $117 million nonprofit that has…
Defying DeSantis, most Florida parents support public education
Parents in Florida are overwhelmingly supportive of public education despite claims by conservatives that the system is damaged beyond repair, according to a new poll commissioned by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The survey released earlier this month found more…
Coalition urges White House not to overlook Black immigrants
A coalition of American civil rights groups is pressing the White House to enact policies to protect undocumented Black migrants from deportation they believe stems from systemic racism. The Southern Poverty Law Center joined the NAACP, the Haitian Bridge Alliance,…