INTERNACIONAL
Radical activist groups circle wagons around Southern Poverty Law Center amid federal charges
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 Nations affiliates. GW University Law Professor Jonathan Turley adds that an earlier probe into the SPLC was mysteriously closed by the Biden administration.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Left-wing nonprofits are rallying behind the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as the self-described «beacon of hope» for «fighting white supremacy» faces federal fraud charges.
In a blog post written by National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Senior Policy Advisor Mel Wilson, Wilson said, «it is important that we stand with and support The Southern Poverty Law Center until the legal travails are complete — with full confidence that SPLC will be vindicated.»
Below her commentary, Wilson listed a number of «coalition members» that are standing with SPLC and are a part of «The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.»
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, left, and SPLC interim President and CEO Bryan Fair are shown in a split image as the Justice Department pursues charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
The list included more than one hundred non-profit organizations.
SPLC INDICTMENT BUILDS MOMENTUM FOR BESSENT’S TREASURY TO PROBE PARTISAN NONPROFITS
Separately, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a press release defending SPLC, saying that it stands with the nonprofit, and accusing the Department of Justice of «targeting» the organization.
«This reported federal targeting of SPLC appears to be a transparently political attack on the rule of law meant to undermine the vital role civil rights groups play in countering hate groups. This is unacceptable and must not stand,» CAIR’s statement read.
«We encourage all Americans and elected officials to stand in solidarity with the SPLC and all other organizations dedicated to the protection of civil rights,» the statement continued.
BLACK CHURCH GROUP RETRACTS ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ CALL FOR AL SHARPTON’S SUSPENSION OVER DONATIONS FROM HARRIS CAMP
CAIR was named a co-conspirator during The Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial from 2007-2008, where five members of the HLF were convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, providing material support, money laundering and tax fraud after allegations that HLF funneled $12.4 million to Hamas in the early 2000s.
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, leads a press conference with CAIR California leaders amid calls from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith for an IRS investigation into the group’s tax-exempt status. (Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register/Getty Images)
While CAIR never faced charges and was only named by prosecutors during the trial, the FBI cut ties with the nonprofit following the case.
SEC. NOEM SAYS HOMELAND SECURITY WILL FREEZE GRANTS TO NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano referring CAIR-California for IRS review. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke to reporters following a Senate Republican luncheon. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to NASW but did not receive a response.
Federal authorities announced earlier this week that the Southern Poverty Law Center, known for civil rights litigation and racial justice, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly funneling millions to members of violent extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations and the National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party).
FAR-LEFT AGITATOR WHO ORGANIZED MN CHURCH STORMING RAKED IN OVER $1 MILLION FROM ANTI-POVERTY NONPROFIT
According to the SPLC’s Form 990 filing with the IRS, the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization posted roughly $129 million in total revenue in fiscal year 2024 with nearly $800 million in total assets.
The organization says that the money was for informants to report back to SPLC and provide information about the groups and their inner workings.
The indictment said that one alleged informant, who was paid $270,000, shared «racist social media posts» under SPLC supervision, and that the nonprofit «helped organize transportation to events» during the deadly 2017 «Unite the Right» event in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists take part a the night before the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, VA, white supremacists march with tiki torchs through the University of Virginia campus. (Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
EX-NONPROFIT BOSS ALLEGEDLY SWIPED $1.2M MEANT FOR HOMELESS PROGRAMS TO FUND LAVISH LIFESTYLE, DA SAYS
«These individuals risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the activities of our nation’s most radical and violent extremist groups,» SPLC Interim President and CEO Bryan Fair said in a video statement. «When we began working with informants, we were living in the shadow of the height of the civil rights movement, which had seen bombings at churches, state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and the murders of activists that went unanswered by the justice system.»
In 1994, an investigative series by the Montgomery Advertiser examined the financials of SPLC at the time, finding that the founder was heavily focused on fundraising for the nonprofit, running the organization like a business or corporation. It also found that the salaries of SPLC were high, and that the nonprofit raised significantly more money than it spent.
The Montgomery Advertiser was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism due to the series on SPLC.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) building seen in March 2020 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)
SPLC co-founder Joe Levin rejected the paper’s claims at the time.
DOJ SAYS SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER FUNNELED $3M+ TO WHITE SUPREMACIST AND EXTREMIST GROUPS
Margaret Huang, who served as the CEO of the nonprofit until her resignation last summer, made $522,000 a year as reported by Charity Watch, which gave SPLC an «F» rating in May 2025 «due to it having six years’ worth of available assets in reserve.»
The indictments also raise questions about whether SPLC donors were misled on how their money was being spent, including payments made to members of the KKK and other extremist groups.
«The SPLC indictment is legally valid, well-pleaded, and built to survive motion practice, former federal prosecutor and legal expert Andrew Cherkasky told Fox News Digital. «The wire fraud counts rest on specific, quoted solicitations telling donors their money would be used to ‘dismantle’ violent extremist groups, paired with the material omission that more than three million dollars flowed to the leaders, fundraisers, and organizers of those very same groups.»
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington on April 21, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
OVERSIGHT DEMANDS DOJ ANSWERS ON FOREIGN FUNDING OF AGITATOR GROUPS AS IRAN, ANTI-ICE PROTESTS CONTINUE
Cherkasky noted that paying informants is not illegal, and that journalists, watchdog groups and the government regularly use them. But he noted «a nonprofit is criminally liable for the acts of its agents committed within the scope of their duties and for the organization’s benefit.»
«A high-level SPLC employee coordinated payment for documents stolen by a paid source who twice burglarized an extremist group’s headquarters, and a different source was paid six thousand dollars to falsely confess to the theft,» Cherkasky explained. «If proven, that is sponsored criminal conduct directed from inside the organization, and it carries institutional exposure that extends beyond the criminal counts to potential loss of tax-exempt status, civil liability to victims, and fiduciary exposure for directors and officers.»
FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that SPLC was not honest or transparent with its donors.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«They lied to their donors, vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups, and actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups — even utilizing the funds to have these groups facilitate the commission of state and federal crimes,» Patel said. «That is illegal — and this is an ongoing investigation against all individuals involved.»
Fox News Digital reached out to SPLC, but did not receive a response.
hate crime, fbi, law, investigations, fund raising
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman advanced Monday evening to a runoff election against Mayor Karen Bass in a heated race that has garnered national attention.
The outcome sets up a general election that pits Bass, an incumbent fending off criticism about her record, against Raman’s progressive message of government-led affordability measures. The result means Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former «The Hills» reality TV star, is out of the race, according to The Associated Press.
Voters will decide the overall winner on Nov. 3.
«I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,» Raman said in a statement. «… If you’re as frustrated by the broken status quo as I am, I hope you’ll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone.»
LA CITY COUNCILWOMAN PREVIOUSLY BACKED BY DSA RUNNING FOR MAYOR IN PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO BASS
A Los Angeles city councilwoman and progressive candidate for mayor Nithya Raman, left, pictured alongside incumbent mayor Karen Bass, right (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
In a post on X, Bass took aim at both Pratt and what she characterized as the «MAGA agenda,» while also criticizing Raman.
«We won on Tuesday — and LA rejected Spencer Pratt and the MAGA agenda. Next, we’ll win in November!» Bass wrote. «Because this is an election with a choice between whether we keep making change together or Nithya Raman, who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA.»
Raman, a member of the Los Angeles City Council and Democratic Socialists of America, has served as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee since 2023. She has also been dubbed a Mamdani-style socialist, referring to far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
In her view, there is more the city could be doing to address not just its homelessness problem, but also increasing housing supply, maintaining public safety, furthering climate goals and pushing back against federal immigration enforcement efforts.
SPENCER PRATT TELLS BILL MAHER HE WOULD ARREST HIM AS LA MAYOR FOR SMOKING POT IN FRONT OF KIDS
Raman has also been dubbed a Mamdani-style socialist, referring to far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
«We can bring LA back to what it really is: one of the most creative, beautiful and most hopeful places in the world. But only if we come together to fight for it,» Raman said in a campaign video.
During the race, Raman pitched herself as a hopeful alternative to Bass’ leadership and what she called a fear-fueled campaign from Spencer Pratt, a rightward-leaning independent who gained traction in the closing weeks of the campaign.
«We have a mayor who has failed to lead this city and, on the other hand, a right-wing extremist, powered by MAGA, who’s channeling people’s frustrations about this city into fear and anger and hatred,» Raman said.
Bass, who first came into office in 2022, argues she has a track record that is taking the city in the right direction.
Despite fending off criticisms about the Palisade fires, a stubbornly visible homelessness population and budget deficits, Bass argued she’s taken steps to address all of those areas in her three years in the role.
LOS ANGELES MAYOR BASS SAYS ‘HELL YEAH’ SHE REGRETS GHANA TRIP AFTER WILDFIRES RAVAGED CITY
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said «it depends» when asked whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in local elections. (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Los Angeles is at a turning point. After decades of rising homelessness, under-built housing and a shrinking police force, it’s Mayor Karen Bass who finally stepped up to change how City Hall works,» Bass’s website reads.
«Homelessness is down, more housing is being built and LAPD is hiring new officers.»
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Bass on May 28.
Bass originally won election in 2022 in a 54.8% to 45.2% victory over independent challenger Rick J. Caruso.
elections, gavin newsom, democrats elections, primary results, homeless crisis
INTERNACIONAL
La Unión Europea aseguró que las sanciones occidentales por la guerra en Ucrania ya le costaron a Rusia más de USD 1,2 billones
La alta representante de la Unión Europea para Asuntos Exteriores y Política de Seguridad, Kaja Kallas, afirmó este lunes que las sanciones occidentales impuestas a Rusia por la guerra en Ucrania ya le costaron entre 1,2 y 1,5 billones de dólares, y defendió la necesidad de aumentar la presión económica sobre Moscú mediante nuevas medidas restrictivas.
«Las cifras hablan por sí solas“, declaró Kallas tras la reunión informal de ministros de Defensa de la Unión Europea celebrada en Nicosia, Chipre. La funcionaria sostuvo que el impacto de las sanciones sobre la economía rusa es significativo y afirmó que, “ladrillo a ladrillo, los cimientos de la economía de guerra rusa se están derrumbando”.
Las declaraciones se produjeron mientras la Unión Europea avanza en la preparación de un nuevo paquete de sanciones. Según explicó Kallas, los ministros de Asuntos Exteriores del bloque analizarán la próxima semana propuestas contra más de 80 personas y entidades vinculadas a Rusia.
De acuerdo con la jefa de la diplomacia europea, las nuevas medidas estarían dirigidas contra el complejo militar-industrial ruso, además de responsables de violaciones de derechos humanos y propagandistas. La iniciativa forma parte de la estrategia comunitaria para incrementar el costo económico y político de la guerra para Moscú.
Kallas vinculó directamente la política de sanciones con los intentos de acercar una salida negociada al conflicto. Según indicó, la presión sobre Rusia debe mantenerse porque Bruselas no considera que el Kremlin esté preparado para avanzar hacia conversaciones sustanciales con Ucrania.
«Tengo la impresión de que Rusia todavía no está preparada. Por eso también necesitamos más paciencia estratégica“, afirmó. La responsable europea agregó que “no somos nosotros quienes estamos pidiendo estas conversaciones. En realidad, es Rusia quien tiene que hablar con nosotros si quiere poner fin a esta guerra”.
La alta representante insistió en que la Unión Europea debe hacer “todo lo posible” para que ambas partes lleguen a una negociación, aunque sostuvo que Moscú debe demostrar con hechos su disposición a avanzar por la vía diplomática.
«Al final tendrán que llegar a un acuerdo“, señaló Kallas. Sin embargo, remarcó que los ataques rusos continúan y que esa situación dificulta hablar actualmente de un escenario real de negociaciones.
La funcionaria defendió además una combinación de mayor presión económica sobre Rusia y un refuerzo del apoyo europeo a Ucrania. “Lo primero que deberían hacer es acordar un alto el fuego y sentarse a la mesa de negociación. Sin embargo, también observamos ciertos movimientos dentro de Rusia que muestran que no todos están satisfechos con que esta guerra continúe. Por eso debemos aumentar la presión sobre Rusia y, al mismo tiempo, incrementar nuestro apoyo a Ucrania”, declaró.
Kallas también sostuvo que cualquier eventual acuerdo futuro deberá contemplar los intereses de seguridad europeos, especialmente en cuestiones vinculadas a las sanciones y a los activos rusos congelados en Occidente.
Las declaraciones llegaron un día después de la reunión celebrada en Londres entre el primer ministro británico, Keir Starmer; el presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron; el canciller alemán, Friedrich Merz; y el presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelensky, quienes respaldaron un alto el fuego con Rusia acompañado de garantías de seguridad para Ucrania.
En paralelo, el comisario europeo de Defensa, Andrius Kubilius, consideró que la evolución reciente de la guerra podría aumentar la presión sobre Moscú. “Parece que Ucrania está empezando a imponerse en distintos frentes, tanto sobre el terreno, cerca de Donetsk y Pokrovsk, como con los ataques en profundidad. Y eso está cambiando toda la narrativa, toda la percepción, hasta el punto de que podría empujar a Putin a negociar”, afirmó.
(Con información de Europa Press)
International,Relations,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
INTERNACIONAL
Massachusetts lawmakers pass bill to scrap ‘offensive language’ from state’s General Laws
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill that would remove «outdated and offensive language» used to describe people with disabilities in the state’s General Laws.
The measure would eliminate various terms, including «handicapped,» «disabled,» and the «r-word» in favor of language such as «persons with a disability» and «person with an intellectual or developmental disability.»
The bill, which was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Pat Jehlen and listed with 17 petitioners, now heads to Democrat Gov. Maura Healey’s desk.
The 61-page bill updates 346 sections of Massachusetts law.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ‘PERSONALLY OFFENDED’ WHEN SPEAKER SAYS ‘HOMELESS’ INSTEAD OF ‘UNHOUSED’
The 61-page bill updates 346 sections of Massachusetts law. (Getty Images)
«Language is constantly changing. And it’s changing because of the activism of people who were ignored and demeaned for too long,» Democrat state Sen. Pat Jehlen, the Senate’s primary sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. «When people tell us they feel insulted and offended by the use of outdated words, we worked to change the legal language. It took a long time, because we kept finding more examples of offensive language. Language and activism will continue to evolve, and there’ll always be more work to do, but this is a gigantic step forward in respect.»
Some of the updated language featured in the bill includes replacing «disabled person» with «person with a disability,» «handicapped» with «disability» and «retarded» with phrases such as «person with an intellectual or developmental disability.»
The legislation also scraps terms such as «crippled» and «deformed» when referring to people with disabilities.
The measure would eliminate various terms, including «handicapped,» «disabled,» and the «r-word.» (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group)
The term «hearing-impaired» was revised to «deaf or hard of hearing» and the «chronically ill» was changed to «persons who are chronically ill.»
Additionally, the bill amends specific legal definitions, including changing the current definition of «caretaker» — which describes an individual or entity responsible for a «disabled person» — to instead use the phrase «a person with a disability.»
«When dusty and dangerous relics of a bygone era darken our laws, it creates the potential for real harm to residents today,» Senate President Karen Spilka, a Democrat, said in a statement. «Thanks to the voices of advocates like former Senate staff member Melissa Reilly and the leadership of Senator Jehlen and Senator Kennedy, the Legislature has acted to make our laws better represent who we are in 21st-century Massachusetts.»
MASSACHUSETTS DROPS CONTROVERSIAL GENDER IDEOLOGY MANDATE FOR LICENSING FOSTER CARE PARENTS
The bill now heads to Democrat Gov. Maura Healey’s desk. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«With a White House that glorifies, and seemingly longs for, the days when many Americans were discriminated against because of who they are, now is the time to make sure our state laws respect and support the rights and dignity of our residents,» she added.
The passage of this measure comes after a 2024 law that renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility, which state officials argued was a display of a broader effort to modernize disability services and promote inclusion. That law also reflected a broader move away from terms state officials described as outdated or offensive.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«As lawmakers, we know that words matter,» said state Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano, a Democrat. «This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use antiquated words that carry negative connotations, words that also serve as a reminder of past injustices.»
The bill passed with broad legislative support, including unanimous recorded votes in both chambers.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Massachusetts GOP for comment.
massachusetts, us, politics, culture trends, woke
Tello tendrá partido en la primera fecha
Detuvieron a la ex de Claudio Barrelier tras prestarle al auto para trasladar a Agostina Vega: de qué la acusan
LA mayoral race heads to November runoff as Karen Bass faces Mamdani-style socialist
Una sublevación contra la dictadura, más de 30 ejecuciones clandestinas y fusilados que hablaron: la insurrección que fue masacre
La UTEP protestará frente a las sedes de las secretarías de Trabajo del país para definir un nuevo plan de lucha
El Gobierno explicó cómo cree que se dará el “derrame” de crecimiento hacia los sectores que hoy están postergados
Desde Neuquén, Myriam Bregman pidió “organizar la bronca para terminar con Milei y su legado”
Cuantas reservas internacionales quieren acumular Milei y Caputo para evitar el riesgo K en 2027
Murió el Indio Solari, mítico cantante de Los Redonditos de Ricota
¡INEXPLICABLE! La vergonzosa incoherencia de las mujeres que marchan por Palestina mientras ignoran la esclavitud de sus pares
POLITICA2 días agoDesde Neuquén, Myriam Bregman pidió “organizar la bronca para terminar con Milei y su legado”
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Cuantas reservas internacionales quieren acumular Milei y Caputo para evitar el riesgo K en 2027
- POLITICA15 horas ago
Reforma laboral: qué cambia para los trabajadores con la revisión de más de 100 convenios colectivos vencidos
