Sen. Tom Cotton Demands IRS Investigation into SPLC's Tax-Exempt Status
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
On Tuesday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demanding an investigation into whether or not the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) should lose its tax-exempt status. His letter comes after weeks of turmoil with the SPLC struggling with scandals of alleged racism and sexism. The organization fired its co-founder , saw its president and other leaders resign, and lost a prominent member of its board .
"I am writing to urge you to investigate whether the Southern Poverty Law Center should retain its classification as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization," Cotton begins his letter. "Recent news reports have confirmed the long-established fact that the SPLC regularly engages in defamation of its political opponents. In fact, the SPLC's defining characteristic is to fundraise off of defamation."
Cotton notes that "the SPLC has accrued more than $500 million in assets. According to the group's most recent financial statement, it holds $121 million offshore in non-U.S. equity funds. The SPLC uses these assets to pay its executives lavish salaries far higher than the comparable household average."
The senator noted the racism scandal , which I discussed on Tucker Carlson Tonight last month.
"Based on these reports, and in the interest of protecting taxpayer dollars from a racist and sexist slush fund devoted to defamation, I believe that the SPLC's conduct warrants a serious and thorough investigation," Cotton writes.
"Engaging in systematic defamation is not a tax-exempt purpose," the senator declared. "While IRS guidance lists several examples of tax-exempt purposes, engaging in defamation as a business model is of course not one of them."
Cotton alleged that the far-left smear factory engages in defamation through its "hate map," which "ostensibly identifies hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nation of Islam. But under the guise of its 'hate map,' the SPLC also lists its mainstream political opponents and faith-based groups, including reputable organizations such as the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Center for Immigration Studies."
Indeed, the hate map vastly overstates the number of "hate groups," both by smearing mainstream organizations like FRC, ADF, and CIS, and by counting every single chapter of an organization as a separate "hate group." A PJ Media analysis found that there are at most 335 true "hate groups," despite the SPLC's claim that there are 1,020.
Cotton's letter also rightly cites the case of Muslim reformer Maajid Nawaz, whom the SPLC labeled an "anti-Muslim extremist." Nawaz sued , and the smear factory apologized, paying his nonprofit Quilliam Foundation $3.375 million in a settlement . About 60 organizations started considering lawsuits of their own after this settlement.
Cotton's letter also rightly noted the 2012 terrorist attack inspired by the "hate map." In 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins II attempted to murder everyone at FRC, and he was only stopped by a brave security guard.
"Perhaps the SPLC was founded for noble purposes and decades ago performed some good work, but what is left of the SPLC is no longer operating in a manner consistent with IRS guidelines and applicable law," Cotton declares. "Based on this concerning information and the flood of recent reports, I encourage you to take immediate action."
Cotton's letter is not the first attack on the SPLC's tax-exempt status. Last December, Baltimore lawyer Glen Keith Allen filed a mammoth lawsuit against the far-left smear factory. Among other things, he alleged that the SPLC's penchant for attacking "far-right groups" and primarily Republicans constituted a violation of the rules for 501(c)(3) status. Tax-exempt groups under this status cannot engage in political campaigning.
"The SPLC’s 501c3 status rests on its claim to be pursuing an educational mission, but for decades it has wandered far from that mission into highly partisan, hypocritical, and in some cases fraudulent activities," Allen told PJ Media on Tuesday. "Its exploitation of its 501c3 status brings discredit to the entire nonprofit sector. It is no more a 501c3 than is a supermarket tabloid."
"I also believe the IRS should investigate whether the SPLC has complied with rules of professional ethics, which it is required to do as a purported 501c3 public interest law firm," Allen added, noting another claim in his lawsuit, that the SPLC abetted theft in it attacks against him.
Last month, the SPLC hired a high-powered lawyer to defend itself from Allen's suit, suggesting it takes this attack very seriously. The smear group has filed a motion to dismiss, but Allen has filed motions against it.
The far-left smear group faces many other lawsuits as well.
In 2017, the charity navigation website GuideStar marked each organization on the SPLC list as a "hate group" on its website. Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, the Christian nonprofit D. James Kennedy Ministries filed a lawsuit against Amazon and the SPLC, after realizing that it was excluded from Amazon Smile over the SPLC list.
CIS is suing for wire fraud under RICO . Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes is also suing for defamation.
“"Based on these reports, and in the interest of protecting taxpayer dollars from a racist and sexist slush fund devoted to defamation, I believe that the SPLC's conduct warrants a serious and thorough investigation," Cotton writes.
"Engaging in systematic defamation is not a tax-exempt purpose," the senator declared. "While IRS guidance lists several examples of tax-exempt purposes, engaging in defamation as a business model is of course not one of them."
Cotton alleged that the far-left smear factory engages in defamation through its "hate map," which "ostensibly identifies hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nation of Islam. But under the guise of its 'hate map,' the SPLC also lists its mainstream political opponents and faith-based groups, including reputable organizations such as the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Center for Immigration Studies."
Indeed, the hate map vastly overstates the number of "hate groups," both by smearing mainstream organizations like FRC, ADF, and CIS, and by counting every single chapter of an organization as a separate "hate group." A PJ Media analysis found that there are at most 335 true "hate groups," despite the SPLC's claim that there are 1,020.
Cotton's letter also rightly cites the case of Muslim reformer Maajid Nawaz, whom the SPLC labeled an "anti-Muslim extremist." Nawaz sued , and the smear factory apologized, paying his nonprofit Quilliam Foundation $3.375 million in a settlement . About 60 organizations started considering lawsuits of their own after this settlement.
Cotton's letter also rightly noted the 2012 terrorist attack inspired by the "hate map." In 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins II attempted to murder everyone at FRC, and he was only stopped by a brave security guard.
"Perhaps the SPLC was founded for noble purposes and decades ago performed some good work, but what is left of the SPLC is no longer operating in a manner consistent with IRS guidelines and applicable law," Cotton declares. "Based on this concerning information and the flood of recent reports, I encourage you to take immediate action."
Cotton's letter is not the first attack on the SPLC's tax-exempt status. Last December, Baltimore lawyer Glen Keith Allen filed a mammoth lawsuit against the far-left smear factory. Among other things, he alleged that the SPLC's penchant for attacking "far-right groups" and primarily Republicans constituted a violation of the rules for 501(c)(3) status. Tax-exempt groups under this status cannot engage in political campaigning.
"The SPLC’s 501c3 status rests on its claim to be pursuing an educational mission, but for decades it has wandered far from that mission into highly partisan, hypocritical, and in some cases fraudulent activities," Allen told PJ Media on Tuesday. "Its exploitation of its 501c3 status brings discredit to the entire nonprofit sector. It is no more a 501c3 than is a supermarket tabloid."
"I also believe the IRS should investigate whether the SPLC has complied with rules of professional ethics, which it is required to do as a purported 501c3 public interest law firm," Allen added, noting another claim in his lawsuit, that the SPLC abetted theft in it attacks against him.
Last month, the SPLC hired a high-powered lawyer to defend itself from Allen's suit, suggesting it takes this attack very seriously. The smear group has filed a motion to dismiss, but Allen has filed motions against it.
The far-left smear group faces many other lawsuits as well.
In 2017, the charity navigation website GuideStar marked each organization on the SPLC list as a "hate group" on its website. Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit.”
The author of the seed, remarkably, doesn't mention that the 2017 lawsuit was dismissed in January of 2018....
I have been unable to find anything on Staver's promise to appeal to a higher court or refile in Virginia but I will keep looking.
...Guidestar, the nonprofit whose website provides a massive database of information on other nonprofits, has backed down and announced it will no longer flag nonprofits on its site that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) claims are “hate groups.” (Although as of this morning, the flags are still on Guidestar.org entries.)
The SPLC is a radical group that uses its infamous “hate groups” list to lump together genuine racists like the KKK with mainstream conservative groups. Many ordinary Americans consult the Guidestar site before giving donations, so when it recently began plastering “Hate Group” at the top of charities’ entries, it strongly reinforced SPLC’s smear campaign and potentially endangered the revenues of groups SPLC has attacked.
CRC and many other groups criticized Guidestar for its decision to broadcast SPLC’s smears. At first, Guidestar dug in its heels with statements like this gassy claim that “Our task is to take this diversity of sources to offer a multi-dimensional view of nonprofits.”
But soon the uproar over Guidestar’s decision became quite loud. In addition to our critique, Guidestar faced an excellent Wall Street Journal article , a Philanthropy Roundtable exposé , news articles by Breitbart and the Daily Signal , threats of lawsuits, complaints by targeted charities, and more.
In one of the more amazing twists, a Muslim who fights Muslim extremism is now suing SPLC for labeling him a hater, as he explains in this clip on the Bill Maher TV show.
So finally at the end of last week, Guidestar backed down, announcing it would cease using the dishonest SPLC labels....
Maajid Nawaz won his case against the hate-mongering SPLC to the tune of $3.375 million.
Your article has been busted and the final sentence of your comment a total comedy
Ironically, Guidestar still rates SPLC as a 'Premium" charity on their website.
They are sure misguided and subjectively biased to give those clowns that rating. I think it’s great that the more the lie life scum that are the people of the SPLC says bad about the Christians and conservatives they defame and libel the more powerful they become and the more prominent in our government their leaders and members are. They are almost constantly in the news due to their court actions and their involvement in the President’s administration and their testimony before congressional committees. Real hate groups couldn’t do that. We openly mock the SPLC and all who use their corrupt and bigoted rating system and celebrate our being able to be in their faces in court and in the media. Since the Trump administration all the conservative and religious groups the SPLC 🎯 targeted for extinction have been openly given publicity and power in the government to the extent that often their statements and that of government are one and the same. We will not be silenced by the bigots who label us.
There is an international cabal of far rightwing forces engaged in a coordinated mass effort to delegitimize and demonize the established American public institutions dedicated to individual freedom like the NAACP, ACLU, ADF, HRC AND the SPLC. Before long they will be gunning for the AARP and the Humane Society. No /S. When there are no more respected institutions left to defend our individual freedoms and identify and fight against organized hate then tyrany, fear and intolerance will finally be allowed reign triumphant over all of us, again...
Please do not use "we" when expressing your own opinions.
You speak for no one here but yourself.
A vast right conspiracy under every pillow!
Scare those ignorant masses!
You certainly can't win with facts.
to waste time looking for it...
Haven't other suits been won against the RACIST SPLC?
A federal judge has tossed lawsuit filed against nonprofit database GuideStar
Isn't this the same Federal Judge known to toss out lots of things, such as the life sentences given to Lee Boyd Malvo, who as a teenager took part in one of the most terrifying serial sniper murder cases in U.S. history? Isn't he the activist Judge who has been advocating for reforms of the "The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984" ?
Judge Raymond Jackson
Getting decisions from activist judges which protect a RACIST organization like SPLC are a travesty of justice.
Indeed. You are correct.
The SPLC is not racist, in spite of your opinion.
Hearsay and opinion...
As the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia since 1993, Jackson has chafed at the lack of flexibility allowed judges by the Act of 1984.
As the result of the efforts by Jackson and other Federal Judges, Congressmen and Senators over the last 2 decades, a bipartisan Congress passed comprehensive
prison sentencing reform, known as First Step, on December 21, 2018 which was signed into law by President Trump.
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One would think that you should be thanking Judge Jackson for his tireless work which resulted in a signature piece of legislation for President Trump..
A rare bipartisan victory.
Again, that's just three of your many opinions combined into another conspiracy word salad.
The SPLC is not racist, in spite of your opinion
It's the opinion of the minorities who work there.
Ahhh, the firing of Morris Dees, I appreciate the help deciphering the message.
So the SPLC which as an org fights racism, suffered racism within the org itself, got it.
So, when an organization is defaming people, it is not practicing hate? Isn't defamation hate-based when it comes down to it? So, the SPLC which claims to fight hate is allowed to be that which it claims to be against?
By that logic, no Americans should be buying Korean built autos, they despise us even more than the Japanese auto executives do.
And Ford is RACIST because Henry Ford was RACIST as were many of the Ford family members...
Rumor has it that Chrysler bought out the Dodge Brothers simply to eliminate the Dodge corporate symbol, so that makes Chrysler Fiat RACIST too.
Defamation is in the eye of the beholder, is it not, Tom?
I have witnessed discrimination of every kind, in every level, in every government position or company I have ever worked for,
does that make the US Government and the military and IRS and DHS, RACIST?
So by that yardstick, yes, I am sure that SPLC, like just about every other institution,
suffer from some sort of internal discriminatory policies that always need to be worked on improving.
Thank goodness I am am beyond that now. I work when I want for whom I want to.
So the SPLC which as an org fights racism, suffered racism within the org itself, got it.
No, the SPLC is an org designed to generate money for it's founder, who performed legal work for the KKK before he realized what a profit center ignorant liberals are. It didn't "suffer" racism. It's a racist institution. There's nothing passive about it's racism.
It's been documented for decades. Sad you and other liberals fell for the "hate group" scam and didn't pay attention.
Aren't they all?
Really Sean? Do you think you know me? Well that's as laughable as some of your other comments.
Have a great afternoon.
No.
In fact, the Dodge Brothers could not get financing from the typical lenders because of pressure from the big three
so they somehow ended up being finance by a group of Jewish bankers, and in order to honor their commitments to Dodge, the brothers incorporated
the Star of David ( not too subtly ) by using the interlocked white and black triangles on their marks,
but less subtly on their radiator caps
You mean there are corporations and organizations designed to lose money for the owner/founder?
Interesting.
Again, ciao.
You think all non profits are money making scams for their founder?
Wow.
Well Pres. Trump sure thought his was.
The Donald J. Trump Foundation, Explained
The New York Times
From the seeded article:
They defamed him then settled with him and apologized for defaming him after he sued them. Yet, they are not guilty of defaming anyone in your mind, despite their admission, apology, and monetary settlement for doing exactly that.
Where did I say anything about racism, I said defamation and defamation requires hate to conduct. Defamation is making up lies about someone and ruining their reputation using those lies. And, defamation does not require race to occur. Just look at Nicholas Sandmann, he was defamed by the Mainstream Media and the left many of whom have yet to retract or apologize for doing so. And, that was all because his nervous smile due to having no way to retreat was taken as a "smirk".
We already have been gunning for the AARP ever since they backed Obamacare to prop up their medicare secondary insurance business. I and millions of others have joined AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens the conservative alternative to the AARP. They did a great job making Medicare Advantage to big and powerful for Obama to kill off as he intended between the 2008 election and the passage of Obamacare into law.
We, we, we, we, we, we, We, we, we, we, we, we, We, we, we, we, we, we, We, we, we, we, we, we, We, we, we, we, we, we!
They’d have to actually have facts in order to win with them.
That's what they make adult Diapers for.
They’d rather use it’s so called hate labels to shut the likes of us up.
I wouldn’t have any experience with that, deleted
What does Bat Man do in the Bat Room?
Dododododododododododododododododododododododododo...
Sorry! 82 Year Olde Morris Dees has been forced out by the board of the SPLC. The details seem pretty mundane and include an unwelcome public hug and an offhand remark about black teenagers running red lights. It is just a normal generational thing made inevitable by The SPLC's financial success. The SPLC will survive and will continue to identify and to certify the very real hate groups out there and so the haters will continue to try to falsely denigrate the SPLC's important work and ongoing contributions. Trumpism makes what the SPLC does even more important than ever which explaining the huge increase in fund raising the SPLC is currently enjoying.
Every time The SPLC is attacked by haters The SPLC raises more money.
I think the SPLC should actually add memorial bricks to The Wall of Tolerance at SPLC HQ in Montgomery Alabama in appreciation of KAG's and Buzz's contributions to their successful fundraising efforts...
Sorry it went over your head .deleted by Charger 383, no ticket
Hmmmm...
AARP, 38 million members, leans liberal on some issues.
TSC, 4 million members, conservative.
AMAC, 1 million members, conservative.
60 plus, won't say, claims to be non partisan.
ASA, won't say, conservative.
CAP. won't say. conservative Christians.
NOACS, won't say, conservative Christians.
I wouldn’t join AARP if they were the only senior outfit out there.
They don't offer memberships to people that live in the mythical kingdom of Jeffersonia....All 50 of them....
I gave up on AARP when they exclusively backed and promoted Obamacare above any other.
Obamacare is the only thing there was, republicans STILL don't have a different plan (because the ACA was pretty much their plan). The AARP is advocating for seniors who use healthcare and they know. This is one area ideology should not overshadow the truth. But republicans have been lying about this since the beginning.
as a Dodge enthusiast, I had wondered about that logo
Then why do their offers constantly show up in my mail box?
They were hoping that Obamacare was going to eliminate Medicare Advantage as Obama stated in the 2008 campaign which didn’t need the medigap insurance to cover Medicare’s other 20% for hospital costs and the like. Medicare Advantage and Health Savings Accounts for high deductible regular health insurance were part of the private health insurance Medicare part D Rx coverage the GOP and Bush passed. My senior group, AMAC along with the Tea Party promoted and sold enough Medicare Advantage plans and HSA’s for catastrophic plans from its founding a bit over 10 years ago until Obamacare became law to enough seniors to make them too big and politically impossible to kill off and then the GOP took over the House. AMAC may not be as big as AARP but it did save HSA’s and Medicare Advantage and it offers its members every bit as many benefits.
So you say. Probably much like the mythical kingdom of Jeffersonia. A figment of your imagination.
Let's.
Actually, the majority of it is.
Nope. Both Romneycare and Obamacare used the HF proposal as a framework.
You mean other than the months of negotiations and the 180+ GOP Amendments right?
Yes, the GOP reneged on their promised support. In short, they lied.
No tap dancing, it's in reference to his belief that Jeffersonia is a state. It isn't so the same affliction could be affecting his remembrance of receiving mailers from AARP.
LOL, well then you haven't been reading them as long as I have...He believes that there is a state of Jeffersonia...
Or read all of his posts on Jeffersonia...LOLOLOL
Yes, I realize that y'all desperately need to limit the conversation to the vote so you can attempt to deny that the GOP had anything to do with the ACA.
Is it you posit that as an idea ages it looses validity?
As for your constant claim that the HF proposal was 'soundly rejected', it's utterly unfounded. Some of the lead GOP Senators at the time supported the bill, including Grassley, Yet since it was seen as a 'compromise' the hardline GOP tanked it. BTFW, there were Dem co-sponsors too.
I realize that historical FACTS put a dent in your agenda but I prefer them.
All you need do is read his reply to Kavika in this thread.
Any thinking person would realize that he insists that his mailbox is in the 'mythical kingdom of Jeffersonia'.
Lol! Indeed!
Actually, a thinking person would realize that one would not advocate for the creation of a new 51st state of the union and promote its creation if it he thought it actually already exists.
Seems that you haven't read them or perhaps you don't understand KAG's comments...
Why would I call him a liar when I don't believe that he is. I explained that before. But it seems to be your conclusion, but you certainly have every right to be wrong in your assumption.
Only you.
I'm not.
While desperately trying to ignore the FACT that it WAS an HF framework and that the GOP negotiated for months behind closed doors and proposed hundreds of Amendments, MANY of which were adopted.
I didn't overlook that, I already stated that the GOP reneged on their promise to vote for the bill. I've read your admonitions to other members about reading entire comments. Perhaps you should follow your own advice.
All members can see for themselves that you stated "a plan 15-20 years old". Perhaps YOU should read your own comment again try to support the WHOLE statement, not just the part that you still stand behind.
BTFW, your link sucks.
The delusional belief in the existence of Jeffersonia has little to nothing to do with a new 51st state. That's merely the desire for attention and recognition.
The delusional want others to accept their 'vision'.
I agree.
This seed is about the vile evil that is the SPLC and has nothing at all to do with my being a part of the movement here to make Jefferson our 51st state or that AARP regularly sends me their junk mail.
Without a doubt you are 💯 % correct here.
Yet you've perpetuated the discussion about the AARP mailers to your Jeffersonia mailbox and allow others to do so.
[Removed]
[Removed]
I think that's a very good reason to confirm in order to deny the tax-exempt status. Using taxpayer money to pay off lawsuits when they overstep should be another reason.
I hope that the IRS sees it that way too.
Ouch. Another 'Trump burn' on the horizon.
How so, counselor? They are not using taxpayer money if they are tax exempt and raise $$ through donations, are they?
That being said, I would not mind seeing the end of almost alll tax exemptions, starting with the real estate rich Catholic Church.
Oh, you're right. It is the money that is donated to them by people who think it will be used beneficially that they are throwing away. That itself should be a signal to anyone who wants to donate to them that their money will be wasted.
However, I'm not entirely wrong, it is taxpayers who are donating the money, since what they donate is a deductible amount from being taxed and they probably would not make charitable donations if it were not.
Not under the new improved tax law of 2017, thank you, but I will keep it in mind the next time someone in the family pressures me for a charitable donation to the JDL, in fact most of my donations will be much much more vigorously scrutinized now that they don't affect my taxes.........
but you still might be partially correct about corporate donations, I don't know.
I would not support the JDL either. Notwithstanding its stated good intentions of fighting antisemitism it went overboard, accused of terrorist activities. Just as I would not support SPLC that notwithstanding its stated good intentions of fighting extremism (provided it is right wing extremism) it goes overboard and is capable of destroying peoples lives (example - Nawaz).
2018 was the first year since 1995 that I did not itemize. The increase in standard and per child tax credit was such that it was larger than SALT, mortgage interest, and charitable contributions. I got back an extra $1,600.00. I still give to my church and it’s charity’s and missions even without the 18% deduction. I also give to charities at fast food places by rounding up to the nearest higher dollar and a dollar at Safeway gas when filling up to whatever charity they are collecting for. I never saved the receipts or deducted those anyway.
Senator Cotton would serve us all well to go back to sleep or concentrate on matters of importance, whichever comes first.
taking down every progressive stronghold is of much importance.
Did you hear that the fraudulent auxiliary of the conservative right wing, WorldNutDaily, is about to shut down? The charlatan owner has been exposed for stealing from his devoted conspiracy theorists and fake news addicts, and the business is probably on its last legs. Unfortunately, it's probably too late to fix the people who fell for their BS articles.
First they will come for the SPLC, ACLU, ADL, NAACP, GLAD, CAIR and the HRC and then eventually inevitably the freedom haters will come for you...
I don't know. It's listed as being a Satire/Fake news site owned by 2 Canadians who rely on advertising income to keep the site going.
No mention of it's Canadian tax status.
That's WorldNewsDaily - the conspiracy fake news site is WorldNetDaily.
Neither you nor Magic 8 Ball had "tax exempt non profit" as a qualifier for progressive strongholds that should be taken down, so why would I?
Initially it was, but Farah saw multiple opportunities to make money and spun it off as a 'for profit' corporation in 1999.
Thanks, hard to tell all of the acronyms apart, lol
That’s for sure. Especially when others use their work to censor and bankrupt these groups or the expression of their values message.
That is one of the greatest values of this country and the doctrine of separation of church and state.
Every single citizen gets to decide on which values they want regardless of the thousands of messages.
Not me or you or anyone else........
World Net Daily is a great source of news, politics, opinion, and religion. One of the very best.
Oh Gee, and here i wrongly thought it was the Whirled Nut Daily /S...
World net daily has turned into a colossal failure...
You could get in trouble using any paraphrase of that comment....Fortunately, there is a conservative alternative to each and that’s a good thing.
What does the SPLC have to do with the separation of church and state?
You support and exalt fundamentalist Christian groups that do the exact same thing. Why are you against those who furnish opposing FACTS?
The SPLC has been behaving badly
[DELETE]
The SPLC has been breaking fundraising records since Trump's election...
The SPLC is raising more $ in response to a proliferation of Trumpian Hate!
The number of certified hate groups is multiplying under Trump & Company.
Of course hate groups want to go unidentified but the SPLC will persevere...
Okay then, either way you want to look at it Trump inspires the hatred...
The SPLC is a terrorist inspiring bigoted hate organization. It is also sexist and racist. It needs to be stripped of its tax exempt status and confess its wrong doing. It is an evil organization run by evil people on a sinister mission of hate.
That is what the minions of hate would say about the SPLC's good work.
Do you deny that it has caused people to use guns to shoot or threaten others? I can give you examples.
Do you deny that it has been sued for wrongly libeling anyone? Do you want an example of that as well?
Or do you already know that it has caused or done those things?
And you hold it up as being a paragon of virtue.
The SPLC and all who use their list are the real hate groups in America
And that is exactly what a great many of them are....
It and it’s membership are a dark stain of evil in America.
By your standard, Trump 'caused' MANY people to use violence or the threat of violence. I can give you examples.
We know the ONE example that has been upheld. Do you have another? Can you name a 45+ year legal organization that hasn't made a mistake?
Do YOU know what beneficial things they have caused and done Buzz?
Yes, since I recognize that NO long standing organization is PERFECT. I balance the good work that they have done with the mistakes that they've made. Their opponents on the right have a shitty track record that is being ignored by their supporters.
a very interesting argument that can be used for a variety of topics - and other organizations to lose their tax exempt status. are you sure you want to open that can of worms ?
Maybe it's a can of worms, or a Pandora's box, that SHOULD be opened.
You make a very good argument, but I really don't give a shit about Trump - he's not MY president, and what does he have to do with SPLC anyway?
However, when an organization spews hatred on Muslim Reformers like Ayaan Ali Hersi, I DO give a damn. Yes, Nawaz was successful in suing for libel, a battle against a law department that has millions of dollars to waste in order to find and use every possible way to defeat a righteous claimant and drag them through the courts until they give up - you know what profession I retired from so you know that I know that game. Many are unable to afford that battle. And I understand that there are a number of lawsuits in progress - so maybe there happened to be MORE than just one mistake, eh, Dulay?
And as well, I DO give a damn when those who publish warnings about REAL threats or report REAL terrorist crimes that the mainstream media in its obvious bias ignores, are named by SPLC to discredit them. Hey, go down in the mine without the canary - what do you think is going to happen to you? Whatever happened to your First Amendment, eh?
Apparently the FBI dropping reliance on SPLC may have been false news, but for some of its purposes, however, I believe it's correct that the DOD did.
you could be correct - but you'll definitely anger a great many people who currently support many tax exempt organizations (other organizations [or topics] that have "caused people to use guns to shoot or threaten others") ... so just be careful... the argument you make cuts many ways for people who live in this country.
The SPLC no longer does good work and hasn’t done so for a couple decades now.
It's been fun watching the SPLC get exposed as one of the more successful scams of the last 100 years.
The MSM is finally catching on to what local media in Montgomery and actual investigative reporters have been reporting for decades. The SPLC is a racist organization that exploits gullible liberal donors through crude fear mongering to generate millions for it's founder.
It’s it’s about time. Justice is coming
Ask the KKK if they're a scam?
I didn't know that the KKK got tax exempt status, ignoring the problems with the SPLC is whistling walking by the graveyard IMO.
READ MORE CAREFULLY.
They are the perfect definition of what Rush Limbaugh refers to as human debris.
This is a fairly accurate description of Mr. Limbaugh, kind of ironic as he seems to have defined himself.
I think they should investigate the fundie christian churches.
On what legal basis?
Thank God for the SPLC! The U.S. needs organizations that shine a bright light on hate filled fascist groups.
I wonder how many SPLC designated hate groups Cotton belongs to?
The funny thing is the cult leader/founder did work for the KKK prior to realizing the millions to be made exploiting gullible liberals by scaring them.
Can't seem to find any reference to that. Maybe you could provide a link.
This WASP is plenty scared of the 1,000+ hate groups in this country.
his WASP is plenty scared of the 1,000+ hate groups in this country.
What can I say, some people are afraid of leprechauns, or fluoride or vaccines.
As the left wing journalist Nathan J. Robinson just wrote in Current Affairs:
The biggest problem with the hate map, though, is that it’s an outright fraud. I don’t use that term casually. I mean, the whole thing is a willful deception designed to scare older liberals into writing checks to the SPLC. .... This whole SPLC set-up strikes me as fraudulent in the extreme. I don’t know how else to describe it. They have a team of people investigating these groups. They have to know that they’re inflating the danger. They know that when they report “over 1,000” hate groups in America, they’ve deliberately excluded membership numbers in order to sound as scary as possible. They’re perpetrating a deception, because they don’t want you to know that groups like the “ Asatru Folk Assembly ” are no political threat. The SPLC has continuously sent out terrifying lies to make old people part with their money. They’ve become fantastically wealthy from telling people that individual kooks in Kennesaw are “hate groups” on the march.
Read the whole article.
I belong to, or donate to or am affiliated with indirectly or am sympathetic to each and every one of the mainstream Christian and mainstream conservative political ones. Some I make a point of joining specifically because either SPLC and or MBFC sticks that ludicrous so called hate label on them. This is a battle to the finish and I will not be satisfied until the SPLC drops their defamatory libelous slander labels on us or they are utterly and completely destroyed as an organization financially by legal actions and judgements.
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What a waste of money.
And an absolute display of something completely foreign to Christianity...
I don’t see Liberty Council, Eagle Forum, American Family Association, Family Research Council, Concerned Women For America, Alliance Defending Freedom as either a waste of money or foreign to Christianity. Getting their message out despite the bigoted labels from the terrorist inspiring human debris at the SPLC is a high priority.
When their concerns are wrapped up in a Biblical battle for morality
instead of the Constitution
it is both a waste of time, money and energy that could have been spent doing something worthwhile,
instead of investing time and energy into worrying about what goes on inside other peoples heads and bedrooms
and resorting to childish name calling.
It is the SPLC and MBFC that worry about what others are thinking and engaging in purely childish and juvenile labeling. They should simply be openly mocked and laughed at to their faces and shown no respect whatsoever. I surely don’t. They are worthy only of sheer and utter contempt. Nothing more.
There are some groups on their list that I joined specifically because of the terrorist inspiring bigoted hate groups designation. I openly and proudly identify with and am a part of or donor to several mainstream conservative and Christian groups on their list. Being a conservative Christian on their so called hate list is a personal badge of honor as far as I’m concerned.
End their tax exempt status now
Based on your standards, ALL Churches should loose their exemptions too.
So is it your posit that taxing Churches would be a violation of the Constitution? Please do cite the Article and section it would violate.
Oh and those tax deductions for donations have got to go if they violate the Johnson Amendment too.
Churches here ⛪ don’t do things to target and defame those that disagree with them that the SPLC does to us who disagree with them.
Thanks for another uninformed and obtuse comment.
Christian schools and colleges refuse to allow LGBT students or kids with gay parents. Catholic Bishops denounce LGBT equality and STILL refuse to adopt to gay couples.
At best, Christian fundamentalists harass and intimidate women who visit clinics, at worst, they bomb them and/or murder their doctors.
Ya, doesn't sound like people who 'disagree with them' are being targeted at all Xx. /s
It is their free exercise there of right in the 1st amendment of the constitution to live and act according to ones conscience on matters of faith and religious belief.
Religion is always the go to excuse for discrimination.
BTFW, remember when you claimed that secularism is a religion? Guess you forgot that you gave secular organizations the SAME protection as evangelicals to express themselves based on their 'conscience'.
OPPS...
....The Federation for American Immigration Reform , or FAIR, is one of many organizations targeted by the Alabama-based SPLC, but in recent weeks FAIR has observed as the SPLC was rocked by the firing of its founder, the resignation of its president, and accusations of racism and sexism.
Those recent developments come after the liberal media often cites the SPLC and its “hate map” in the same sentence that it describes groups such as FAIR, the Family Research Council, and many others that are considered “hate” groups due to their views on hot-button issues such as biblical marriage, LGBT rights, and illegal immigration.
FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman says his group is pushing back on the SPLC with a new report, “A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding the Tactics of the SPLC.”
The report, he says, documents dozens of investigative reports about the SPLC spanning 30 years of journalism, including unfriendly reporting by The Washington Post , Politico, Harper’s magazine, The Nation , and Alabama’s own Montgomery Advertiser , which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for its three-year investigation of the SPLC.
“Journalists from left, right, and center, who have looked closely at the SPLC,” says Mehlman, “have all concluded that this organization has zero credibility."
The report, in fact, quotes one reporter who asks why other media outlets treat the left-wing SPLC as if it’s “some kind of neutral Consumer Reports guide” to what is tolerable and intolerable.
Mehlman contends the SPLC is itself a hate group....
Just another Right wing anti immigrant racist organization. The Anti Defamation League has over 50 articles about the racism and bigotry of 'FAIR' and it's founder John Tanton.
Cotton is a christian taliban. Judicial Watch is a scam ran by the Mercers and should be...…………...safely sequestered in a gulag.
I’m proud to have been a donor to Judicial Watch. They are a great legal organization and government watchdog. I proudly stand by them and their mission.
If crackpot bigoted right wing televangelist organizations like Pat Robertson and his Christian Broadcasting Network are tax exempt, SPLC should be with no questions asked. The premise of this seed is thus moronic.
Pat Robertson Begs God To Take Out President Obama ...
Pat Robertson today asked God to "deliver" the US from President Obama before it's too late. After implying that Obama is a Muslim , Robertson told 700 Club viewers: "We need to do something to pray to be delivered from this president. He is a disaster, an absolute disaster.