Poverty

Southern Poverty Law Center asks judge to weigh sanctions against DOJ for sending unsigned copy of indictment to media

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The Southern Poverty Law Center asked a federal judge on Wednesday to consider sanctioning federal prosecutors, after the Justice Department shared an unsigned and unstamped copy of a superseding indictment against the nonprofit with members of the media. On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced it had obtained a superseding indictment against the SPLC that contained … Read more

Justice Dept. says it has obtained superseding indictment against Southern Poverty Law Center with new details on donor funds

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The Justice Department said Tuesday it obtained a superseding indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center that contained new allegations about how its donations were purportedly used to pay informants inside hate groups. The superseding indictment, which the DOJ said was returned by a grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama, alleges that $4.1 … Read more

No tax charges filed in Southern Poverty Law Center probe, after IRS lawyers determined informant program legally structured, sources say

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Federal agents previously investigated the Southern Poverty Law Center’s paid informant program for possible tax crimes, but the probe failed to yield any charges after Internal Revenue Service lawyers determined it was legally structured, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Agents from IRS Criminal Investigation in 2019 and 2020 homed in on shell … Read more

Southern Poverty Law Center seeks dismissal of criminal charges, saying prosecution is vindictive

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Washington — The Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday asked a federal judge to dismiss the criminal charges filed against it by the Justice Department, saying the indictment represents a “top-down, retributive campaign” directed by President Trump to target his enemies. The 47-page filing in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama … Read more

Alabama attorney general announces civil probe of Southern Poverty Law Center

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s attorney general announced a civil investigation Monday into the Southern Poverty Law Center’s fundraising practices in the wake of a federal indictment against the organization. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he has sent a subpoena to the center seeking information about its donations and payments to informants. He said he … Read more

Southern Poverty Law Center attorneys make first court appearance in fraud case

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — 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 … Read more

Southern Poverty Law Center says its informant program was not kept secret from law enforcement

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WASHINGTON — The Southern Poverty Law Center told a federal court on Tuesday that law enforcement agencies have long known that the nonprofit paid informants to report on the movements of hate groups, rejecting assertions by the Trump administration that the nonprofit steered money to the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups without the … Read more

Southern Poverty Law Center seeks disclosure of grand jury transcripts in criminal case

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Washington — The Southern Poverty Law Center moved to force the disclosure of grand jury materials in the criminal case against the organization, citing what it said were “misleading” statements from Trump administration officials in the aftermath of the indictment last week and “obvious legal infirmities” in court filings.  The filings come after a federal … Read more

Radical activist groups circle wagons around Southern Poverty Law Center amid federal charges

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DOJ charges SPLC with fraud, alleges millions funneled to extremists The Department of Justice charges the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) with fraud, accusing the organization of funneling over $3 million to various extremist groups. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel detailed the accusations, highlighting payments to KKK members and Aryan … Read more