Southern Poverty Law Center seeks dismissal of criminal charges, saying prosecution is vindictive
Washington — The Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday asked a federal judge to dismiss the criminal charges filed against it by the Justice Department, saying the indictment represents a "top-down, retributive campaign" directed by President Trump to target his enemies.
TL;DR
- The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is seeking dismissal of federal fraud charges.
- The SPLC argues the indictment is a politically motivated "retributive campaign" by President Trump.
- The Justice Department indicted the SPLC on 11 counts of wire and bank fraud.
- The SPLC claims investigations between 2019-2020 did not result in charges before the group became a Trump administration target.
- Public statements by President Trump and other officials are cited as evidence of animus.