A reasonable person who spent the last 24 hours scouring the Internet searching for an accurate understanding of what just happened to The Southern Poverty Law Center could not be blamed for coming away from the process less informed and more ignorant than they were this time yesterday. The amount of irrelevant and inaccurate information around this story is extraordinary. Most of the analyses, on both sides of the aisle, focus on the informants, and whether or not they were paid by the SPLC to foment racism within the very organizations they claim oppose. (The KKK and the Charlottesville debacle, in particular.) But most of these articles miss the larger point, i.e., the underlying financial crimes that led to an $800 million dollar war chest that will now likely be frozen, thanks to years of bank fraud and illegal fundraising.
Columns like the one I’ve attached are why I invited Jeff Childers onto the podcast last month. Jeff has a way of cutting through the clutter on days like today, when both sides miss the larger point. Yes, Jeff writes from a right of center perspective, and unapologetically so. But he’s also a lawyer with tons of experience in this area, and a lot of useful insight. So, if you’re curious about what all this means from a legal perspective, or the black-letter law that governs financial crimes like those alleged, this column is definitely worth your time. Likewise, if you’re one of the many Americans who have financially supported The Southern Poverty Law Center over the years, this will be an essential, albeit very painful read.
PS If you like his blog, you’ll love the episode we recorded last month. https://bit.ly/41L81yj It’s been amazing to watch the C&C Army grow…