Stossel Exposes the SPLC

ORLANDO, FL - John Stossel, an American consumer television personality known for his career on both ABC News and Fox Business Channel, has now exposed that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which continually grossly misrepresents and labels pro-family and conservative organizations as so-called "hate groups," "has become a hate group itself and is now a left-wing, money-grabbing, slander machine." Stossel reports on his social media sites ReasonTV and StosselTV that the SPLC's "'hate group' list is bogus. While launching hateful smears like these, SPLC invites you to donate to them to 'join the fight against hatred and bigotry.' SPLC once fought useful fights. They took on the Ku Klux Klan. But now they go after people on the right with whom they disagree."

The SPLC recklessly labels Christian, pro-family and conservative nonviolent groups such as Liberty Counsel, and others as "hate groups," classifying them with violent groups like the KKK, Neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The SPLC refuses to include left-leaning organizations that do engage in or have a history of violence, including Antifa. The Pentagon stated in 2014 that it removed the SPLC's information on "hate groups" but continued to rely on its data in "non-federal reference material" for DEOMI. However, it appears that the DOD's DEOMI has now completely severed ties with the SPLC. The FBI also no longer uses the SPLC as a resource on its "hate crimes website." In addition, the Disciplinary Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, under President Obama, sharply rebuked and reprimanded attorneys in 2016 for employing the SPLC's "hate group" label to dismiss a conservative advocacy group. It stated that using the SPLC's map "overstepped the bounds of zealous advocacy and was unprofessional." It continued that such behavior is "uncivil" and "constitutes frivolous behavior and does not aid the administration of justice." Liberty Counsel has prepared several documents rebutting the SPLC's false, defamatory, and dangerous labeling here. "We commend John Stossel for exposing the Southern Poverty Law Center's bogus and misleading 'hate group' label," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Liberty Counsel and other peaceful, law-abiding, Christian, pro-family, or conservative organizations that are on its harmful list oppose violence. The SPLC is a discredited organization that maliciously lies about its opponents in order to destroy them while raising enormous amounts of money. The SPLC motivates people to do violence against non-violent people and groups. This is dangerous and must stop," said Staver.