WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated proceedings that led to an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on federal fraud charges on Tuesday, accusing the organization of supporting white supremacy.
SPLC has an over 50-year history of fighting extremist hate groups, often working alongside the federal government.
Following the indictment, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law released this statement:
“Yesterday’s indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center continues the Trump Administration’s campaign of intimidation against those who stand up to racialized oppression. It threatens to undermine advocacy groups confronting white supremacy that harms Black communities and other historically targeted groups.
“SPLC is a leading authority on organized hate groups and undertakes the complex and often dangerous work of investigating and exposing these networks. Its outstanding record of tracking and addressing hate belies the misguided premise of the indictment — that SPLC was somehow supporting the very hate groups it has long helped to discredit and dismantle.
“The DOJ’s actions are wrong and part of a broader effort to intimidate organizations working to advance civil rights, strengthen our democracy, and hold bad actors accountable.
“SPLC has long been an invaluable partner to the Lawyers’ Committee in our shared work to discredit and dismantle systemic racism and organized hate. The Lawyers’ Committee has successfully challenged white supremacy in the courtroom, suing multiple groups that espouse anti-Black, anti-Semitic, and other racist ideologies. In no way does SPLC support or exemplify those groups or their hateful beliefs.
“The administration’s suggestion to the contrary is both reckless and dangerous. The American people know what is really happening here. DOJ is attempting to turn civil rights protections on their head to intimidate organizations like the SPLC from making meaningful progress toward achieving true racial justice in this country.
“The Lawyers’ Committee stands in solidarity with the SPLC as it confronts these baseless allegations.”
