EDITOR'S NOTE: People read the word 'indictment' and think it means guilty. That's not the case. Indictment is an allegation. The SPLC is still innocent until proven guilty. This article is not in defense of the SPLC but to show both sides of the argument for understanding.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal grand jury indictment brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has brought national attention to a stark conflict over how the prominent civil rights organization operated its intelligence-gathering programs.
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQaQm%96 42D6 9:?86D @? 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ =682= 5:D28C66>6?Ei 7656C2= AC@D64FE@CD G:6H >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? 4@G6CE A2J>6?ED 2D 2 7C2F5F=6?E 7F?5C2:D:?8 D496>6[ H9:=6 E96 $!{r 2?5 :ED 5676?56CD >2:?E2:? E96 7F?5D H6C6 DE2?52C5[ =:76\D2G:?8 :?G6DE>6?ED :? 4@?7:56?E:2= :?7@C>2?ED]k^Am
k9b 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQbQm%96 !C@D64FE:@?’D r2D6k^9bm
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQcQmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 k2 4=2DDlQ?8\DE2C\:?D6CE65Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH];FDE:46]8@G^Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\9G6:5lQ_Q 52E2\G65lQ_rpp"0c"|298ztH;&;Cw|E~e'pI&pppppw"ppppp"_8tQm&]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46k^2m[ 2 8C2?5 ;FCJ :? |@?E8@>6CJ C6EFC?65 2? ``\4@F?E :?5:4E>6?E 492C8:?8 E96 $!{r H:E9 H:C6 7C2F5[ 72=D6 DE2E6>6?ED E@ 2 7656C2==J :?DFC65 32?<[ 2?5 4@?DA:C24J E@ 4@>>:E >@?6J =2F?56C:?8]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQdQmu656C2= @77:4:2=D 2==686 E92E 36EH66? a_`c 2?5 a_ab[ E96 $!{r D64C6E=J 7F??6=65 >@C6 E92? Sb >:==:@? :? 5@?@C 7F?5D E@ :?5:G:5F2=D =:?<65 E@ G:@=6?E 6IEC6>:DE 8C@FAD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 zF z=FI z=2? 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= $@4:2=:DE !2CEJ @7 p>6C:42]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQeQmsFC:?8 2 (2D9:?8E@? ?6HD 4@?76C6?46[ p4E:?8 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= %@55 q=2?496 2?5 uqx s:C64E@C z2D9 !2E6= 2C8F65 E92E E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 5646:G65 6G6CJ52J 4@?EC:3FE@CD H9@ 36=:6G65 E96:C >@?6J H2D 8@:?8 E@H2C5 7:89E:?8 92E6 8C@FAD[ C2E96C E92? 7=@H:?8 :?E@ E96 A@4<6ED @7 6IEC6>:DED]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQfQmQ%96 $!{r 2==6865=J 6?82865 :? 2 >2DD:G6 7C2F5 @A6C2E:@? E@ 5646:G6 E96:C 5@?@CD[ 6?C:49 E96>D6=G6D[ 2?5 9:56 E96:C 5646AE:G6 @A6C2E:@?D 7C@> E96 AF3=:4[Q !2E6= D2:5]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQgQm!C@D64FE@CD 4=2:> E96 @C82?:K2E:@? FE:=:K65 7:4E:E:@FD 4@CA@C2E6 6?E:E:6D 2?5 5:D8F:D65 32?< 244@F?ED E@ C@FE6 E96 >@?6J H9:=6 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ AF3=:4=J 56?@F?46 E9@D6 6I24E 8C@FAD @? :ED H63D:E6]k^Am
k9b 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQhQm%96 s676?D6 2?5 x?E6==:86?46 !6CDA64E:G6k^9bm
More from this section
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`_Qm%96 $!{r 92D DEC@?8=J AFD965 324< 282:?DE E96 492C86D[ A=625:?8 ?@E 8F:=EJ 2?5 492C24E6C:K:?8 E96 AC@D64FE:@? 2D 2 A@=:E:42==J >@E:G2E65 2EE24<]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ``Qm{682= 6IA6CED 2?5 5676?D6 25G@42E6D ?@E6 E92E E96 4@C6 24E:G:EJ 4:E65 3J AC@D64FE@CD—A2J:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D :?D:56 6IEC6>:DE ?6EH@C<D—>:CC@CD DE2?52C5 :?G6DE:82E:G6 AC24E:46D FD65 3J =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 286?4:6D =:<6 E96 uqx] ~C82?:K2E:@?D E92E >@?:E@C 5@>6DE:4 E6CC@C ?6EH@C<D C@FE:?6=J C6=J @? 9F>2? D@FC46D[ @C 4@?7:56?E:2= :?7@C>2?ED[ E@ :?7:=EC2E6 52?86C@FD 8C@FAD[ EC24< A=2??65 G:@=6?46[ 2?5 AC66>AE F?=2H7F= 24ED]k^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`aQmx? DE2E6>6?ED 7@==@H:?8 E96 2??@F?46>6?E[ $!{r =6256CD9:A 5676?565 E96 5:D32?565 AC@8C2> 2D 2 ?646DD2CJ E@@= 7@C EC24<:?8 G:@=6?E E9C62ED[ ?@E:?8 E92E <66A:?8 E9@D6 7:?2?4:2= 492??6=D D64C6E H2D G:E2= E@ AC@E64E:?8 9F>2? D@FC46D 7C@> C6E2=:2E:@?]k^Am
k9b 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`bQm}6IE $E6AD :? r@FCEk^9bm
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`cQmp? :?5:4E>6?E 4@?E2:?D 2==682E:@?D @?=J[ 2?5 2== 5676?52?ED 2C6 AC6DF>65 :??@46?E F?E:= AC@G6? 8F:=EJ :? 2 4@FCE @7 =2H] %96 4:G:= C:89ED @C82?:K2E:@? 92D G@H65 E@ G:8@C@FD=J 7:89E E96 492C86D 2D E96 =682= AC@4665:?8D 4@?E:?F6 :? E96 |:55=6 s:DEC:4E @7 p=232>2]k^Am
k9C 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`dQ ^m
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`eQmk2 4=2DDlQ?8\DE2C\:?D6CE65Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGlz$_%}:2B&c@Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 52E2\9G6:5lQ_Q 52E2\G65lQ_rpp"0c"|298ztH;&;Cw|E~e'pI&pppppw"ppppp"_HtQmuF== %@55 q=2?496[ z2D9 !2E6= AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 C6G62=D $@FE96C? !@G6CEJ {2H r6?E6C :?5:4E>6?Ek^2mk^Am
kA 52E2\A2E9\E@\?@56lQ`fQm%9:D G:56@ 4@G6C286 AC@G:56D E96 @77:4:2= s6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 56E2:=:?8 E96 DA64:7:4 4@F?ED 2?5 2==682E:@?D 3C@F89E 282:?DE E96 $!{r]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ2EE249>6?E\4@?E2:?6C J@FEF36Qm k^5:Gm