Judge reject's SPLC's bid to dismiss DOJ indictment

A federal judge on Friday denied the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) bid to dismiss the Department of Justice's indictment of the organization and further declined to grant discovery into the DOJ's motives.

The DOJ announced charges against the organization, bringing six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The SPLC had argued that the case was politically motivated, but the judge rejected that argument, saying the SPLC's filings were "heavy on heated rhetoric, better suited for cable news, or a podcast."

"The SPLC has failed to offer some evidence tending to show animus on the part of the prosecutors involved in bringing this case and that such animus resulted in the prosecution, the showing required for discovery," the judge added. "Because it cannot satisfy that standard, it necessarily fails to satisfy the higher standard that would entitle it to dismissal of the indictment."

The case is in the Middle District of Alabama.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.