DOJ Indicts SPLC, Civil Rights Groups Rally

It's April 24th.

This is California News Today, powered by AI.

I'm Cory with the story.

The Justice Department just dropped the major indictment on the Southern Poverty Law

Center, hitting them with charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money

laundering.

Prosecutors say the group's paid informants inside extremist outfits, like white supremacist

crews, basically funneled donor cash to hate groups and lied to supporters about it

all.

This comes after years of the SPLC tracking hate organizations since its start in 1971,

focusing on everything from the clan to voting, rights battles.

The Trump administration's acting attorney general called it a scam to manufacture racism

for funding, and they've already cut FBI ties with the group.

Over similar gripes, civil rights leaders are fired up, labeling it a straight political

hit to protect extremists and chill their work.

Officers like the NAACP and Urban League, see it as the DOJ flipping sides, while conservatives

cheer it as payback for the SPLC tagging right wing, outfits as hate groups, saying as

damage lives and reputations.

Behind the scenes, advocates are rallying hard conference calls, public support statements,

even a letter from over 100 groups valent to share.

Resources against what they call government overreach.

They're prepping audits, document checks, and maybe even flipping some non-profits into

four profits to dodge reases.

As this legal storm brews an Alabama federal court, it's signaling a new era where civil

rights crews can't count on the feds anymore, pushing them to.

Build tougher defenses and coalitions that might just outlast the pressure.