I’ve been skeptical of the Southern Poverty Law Center ever since August 2012, when their “Hate Map” (shown below) inspired a man named Floyd Lee Corkins to try to murder the employees of the Family Research Center in DC and smear Chick-fil-A sandwiches in their dead faces. (Why Chick-fil-A? Because it’s “hate chicken,” of course.) Corkins specifically pointed to the “Hate Map” as his inspiration. The SPLC told him exactly where to go and exactly why he should hate those people.
Corkins’ attempt at political mass murder was thwarted by a brave security guard named Leo Johnson, which certainly saved the SPLC a lot of embarrassment. Pointing out ideological targets for angry gunmen to attack isn’t a good look for a “civil rights” organization. Fortunately, they have the media on their side, so they get a pass from the same people who blamed Sarah Palin for the Gabby Giffords shooting.
But how does the SPLC afford to keep harassing people who say things they don’t like? How do they pay their bills? As it turns out, they have more money than they know what to do with. Joe Schoffstall, Washington Free Beacon:
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that has gained prominence on the left for its “hate group” designations, pushes millions of dollars to offshore entities as part of its business dealings, records show…
The SPLC has turned into a fundraising powerhouse, recording more than $50 million in contributions and $328 million in net assets on its 2015 Form 990, the most recently available tax form from the nonprofit. SPLC’s Form 990-T, its business income tax return, from the same year shows that they have “financial interests” in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda…
“It is unethical for any US-based charity to invest large sums of money overseas,” said [Amy Sterling Casil, CEO of Pacific Human Capital]. “I know of no legitimate reason for any US-based nonprofit to put money in overseas, unregulated bank accounts.”
Well, I’m sure it’s all above-board. I’d ask questions about it, but then somebody might call me a racist or a homophobe or something awful like that. I wouldn’t want to impede the SPLC’s very important work, like… um… going on TV and slandering conservatives? I’m not sure what else they really do.
But hey, they’ve found the solution to southern poverty. Just take the huge stacks of cash you make by fear-mongering and lying about people, and stash it even farther south!
