Letter to Alabama's Attorney General Requesting Investigation of Southern Poverty Law Center

PO Box 130
West Shokan, NY 12494
April 25, 2010

Mr. Troy King, Attorney General
Alabama State House
11 South Union Street, Third Floor
Montgomery, AL 36130

Dear Mr. King:

I am a former contributor to the Southern Poverty Law Center and would like to request that you investigate whether the SPLC has engaged in fraud. I contributed to the SPLC over a number of years in the 1980s and 1990s. The SPLC claimed to be an organization that fought extremist and hate groups, and based on those representations I contributed over $100 per year over at least five years, likely more.

I have noticed news reports about the SPLC’s taking partisan positions concerning the so-called Tea Parties, a partisan movement that is concerned with conservative views and opposes socialism. As well, the leaders of the SPLC have been vocal about their support for President Barack Obama.

I have written separately to the IRS enforcement division concerning the SPLC’s potentially fraudulent claim that it is exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As you know, political activity, lobbying and support for candidates are not legally exempt activities. Yet, the leaders of the Southern Poverty Law Center have repeatedly engaged in such activities in connection with the Obama campaign and in connection with attacking individuals who disagree with Mr. Obama’s socialist views.

As well, I wonder if the SPLC may be violating various laws concerning charities in your state. In particular, the group bills itself as an anti-hate group organization, which roped me in, but this claim is only partly true. Rather, the SPLC has released a report attacking a wide range of opponents of President Obama who have absolutely nothing to do with hate activities. It seems possible that the SPLC is functioning as a political organization, using anti-hate activities as a pretext. I might add that in the 1980s when Morris Dees had several important successes, the Klan had seen some rise in importance. The Klan now is of much less consequence than it was then, and it may be that rather than limit their activities, the SPLC has simply spun off into activities unrelated to their earlier mission that are not tax exempt under federal law and possibly under Alabama law.

Please investigate whether the SPLC is defrauding contributors and taxpayers. After having donated hundreds of dollars to the scammers at the SPLC, I now fear that I was defrauded by hate-filled socialist extremists.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Langbert, Ph.D.