| | In addition to donations from liberal members, which are often elicited by sensationalizing hate crimes, the center raises a lot of revenue seizing assets of violent groups, and by extorting groups that do not want to be accused of racism. In 1987, the SPLC won a major case on behalf of Beulah Mae Donald, the mother of a Klan lynching victim. This was the invention of a clever new tactic-- suing domestic terrorist groups into bankruptcy-- but Ms. Donald benefitted very little. Of the $7 million verdict, only $50,000 went to her. This was because the Klan chapter had no assets other than a warehouse used as a headquarters, the warehouse itself was valued at about $50,000. <ref>http://www.americanpatrol.com/SPLC/ChurchofMorrisDees001100.html</ref> | | In addition to donations from liberal members, which are often elicited by sensationalizing hate crimes, the center raises a lot of revenue seizing assets of violent groups, and by extorting groups that do not want to be accused of racism. In 1987, the SPLC won a major case on behalf of Beulah Mae Donald, the mother of a Klan lynching victim. This was the invention of a clever new tactic-- suing domestic terrorist groups into bankruptcy-- but Ms. Donald benefitted very little. Of the $7 million verdict, only $50,000 went to her. This was because the Klan chapter had no assets other than a warehouse used as a headquarters, the warehouse itself was valued at about $50,000. <ref>http://www.americanpatrol.com/SPLC/ChurchofMorrisDees001100.html</ref> |
| − | The SPLC's fundraising tactics came under heavy criticism in articles in ''Harper's'' magazine in 2000<ref>Silverstein, Ken. "The Church of Morris Dees: How the Southern Poverty Law Center Profits from Intolerance". ''Harper's'', November, 2000. http://www.harpers.org/archive/2000/11/0068709</ref>, and in the local ''Montgomery Advertiser'' newspaper in 1994.<ref>Morse, Dan and Greg Jaffe. "Critics Question $52 Million Reserve, Tactics of Wealthiest Civil Rights Group". ''Montgomery Advertiser'', February 13, 1994</ref>. | + | The SPLC's fundraising tactics came under heavy criticism most recently by the Council of Conservative Citizens, <ref>http://cofcc.org/?p=5108</ref> as well as by articles in ''Harper's'' magazine in 2000<ref>Silverstein, Ken. "The Church of Morris Dees: How the Southern Poverty Law Center Profits from Intolerance". ''Harper's'', November, 2000. http://www.harpers.org/archive/2000/11/0068709</ref> and in the local ''Montgomery Advertiser'' newspaper in 1994.<ref>Morse, Dan and Greg Jaffe. "Critics Question $52 Million Reserve, Tactics of Wealthiest Civil Rights Group". ''Montgomery Advertiser'', February 13, 1994</ref>. |