Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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That was Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch laying out a string of federal charges this week against the Southern Poverty Law Center. The DOJ is accusing the self-styled anti-hate group of laundering money to white supremacist groups as part of a ploy to keep the donations rolling in.
The indictment is creating a ripple effect due to the group's extensive influence on the legacy media, big tech, and the corporate world, which have often used the SPLC over the years to discriminate against conservatives.
In this episode, we sit down with Jeremy Tedesco, Senior Vice President of the Counter Censorship Task Force at Alliance Defending Freedom, We unpack the legal claims, the role the SPLC has played in censoring conservatives, and attempts to take its anti-hate model overseas. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire.
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Chapter 2: What are the federal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center?
We overuse that term, but it's a true bombshell indictment here. The allegations are almost hard to believe. They're a complete 180 from what the SPLC claims to do. First, let's start with the actual indictment, and then we'll talk about some of the details of how this is playing out so far. So 11 total charges in this indictment. Can you explain those charges for us?
Yeah, there's six wire fraud charges, four related to false statements to federally charted banks. and then one charge related to conspiracy to conceal money laundering.
And so they all basically revolve around what you were talking about, which is the allegation that the SPLC is essentially asking people to fund their fight against hate groups while they're actually taking some of that money and giving it to the hate groups so they can do more hate.
They're fomenting the very activities they're asking their donors to fight against is what the indictment ultimately is about.
Now, the S.B.L.C. tried to get ahead of this indictment. They released a statement beforehand claiming this is just part of their informant program. They say they're just paying informants so they can stay ahead of these hate groups. The Justice Department says that's not at all what's happening here. What are the specific claims that DOJ is making to counter the S.B.L.C. 's argument?
Well, I think the clearest thing that relates to that in the indictment revolves around the 2017, everybody will remember, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. And apparently SPLC was paying one of the members of the online leadership group that put that event on.
Apparently, that person was even acting at the behest of and direction of SPLC related to posts online and planning the event and even facilitating the transportation of some people to that event. So, I mean, that's the clearest thing in the indictment. I think the DOJ has a lot more to prove there. And, you know, this is just the beginning of this.
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Chapter 3: How does the SPLC's influence affect media and big tech?
This is an indictment by a federal grand jury. Now the federal government will put on their evidence and we'll see if they can prove it.
Right. Now, the ADF has a history with the SPLC, and part of the reason we specifically wanted to talk to you is that you're very versed in how the SPLC is operated when it comes specifically to conservative entities and targeting them. You guys are a conservative legal group. You've suffered the consequences of some of these actions, like so many other groups. What has your team experienced?
How much of a real impact has this had?
Oh yeah, they put us on the hate map back in 2016. I mean, as a result of that, we've been smeared in the media over and over again, but we've also lost access to essential tech services. We've lost access to channels of funding. So the hate group label has real damage attached to it. At the same time,
You know, the SPLC is really a bunch of clowns, so it's hard to take them seriously, except for these consequences that flow from it. You know, we've won 17 cases at the Supreme Court since 2011. They've been basically slinging mud at people. And so there's one serious organization involved in this story. It's us, Alliance Defending Freedom. They don't do anything beneficial.
In fact, some journalists and even a former employee of SPLC called their hate map a fraud and a highly profitable scam. So really, this indictment shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. They've been steeped in corruption for many years now, and maybe they've been even doing illegal things as they've been, you know, operating their hate map fraud.
Yeah, for the people that aren't as familiar as we are with this hate map, what is its stated purpose? What does it actually do? Why did they come up with it in the first place?
to raise money, John. I mean, I might tell you what they say the purpose is. The purpose is to smear their political enemies and destroy them. And that's what they said it was for. And so, but I think people need to understand it's not just Alliance Defending Freedom on the list. It's basically every right-of-center advocacy organization that disagrees with the left.
And TPUSA is on there, you know, Moms for Liberty and about nine or ten other big parents' rights organizations. You know, and the Biden administration used this list to attack Catholics, to go after parental rights groups. The media organizations rely on it all the time. Corporations rely on it all the time to make business decisions. So these kinds of things really need to come to a stop.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the SPLC's indictment?
Ultimately, the DOJ will have to prove that out. But, you know, this is just the next instance in a long line of corruption we've seen from the SPLC.
We'll see if the government is able to land this one, some very serious charges that are laid out here.
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Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us. Yep, thanks, John.
That was Jeremy Tedesco, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, and this has been a weekend episode of Morning Wire.
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