Mothers’ Organization Challenges SPLC’s ‘Extremist’ Designation Following Federal Indictment

The Justice Department has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on serious federal charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment and money laundering. The indictment centers on allegations that the civil rights organization funneled approximately $3 million in donations to individuals linked to violent extremist groups, including Unite the Right, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Aryan Nations—the very same groups the SPLC has targeted through its advocacy and litigation efforts for years.

In response to the indictment, Kimberly Fletcher, founder of Moms for America, has called for the SPLC to be “shut down,” characterizing the organization as a “hate group against America, families, freedom, and God.”

“I find it ironic that the Southern Poverty Law Center turns out to be the extremist group, which we’ve always known, but now they’re finally being exposed,” Fletcher told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. She expressed concern that the SPLC would “continue funneling money into organizations that are extremist hate groups” while targeting groups like hers.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the SPLC and conservative organizations. In its “Year in Hate and Extremism 2022” report, the SPLC identified Moms for America as an “anti-government extremist” group, claiming it is an “anti-student inclusion” organization whose measures have “contributed to a volatile climate” for teachers, faculty, and school board members.

Fletcher strongly disputes this characterization, stating, “Putting moms in the same category as the Ku Klux Klan or these violent protesters, rioters, it absolutely is not compatible.”

Moms for America, which claims approximately 500,000 mothers as members nationwide, advocates for what it describes as restoring “truth, family, freedom and the Constitution” in schools and American culture. The organization has been vocal in opposing critical race theory and LGBT curricula in public schools.

According to Fletcher, the SPLC’s “extremist” designation has had significant repercussions for her organization. She claims tech companies have severed services to the group, and they’ve faced threats and harassment that prompted dozens of the organization’s leaders to resign.

“We have been continuously targeted in threats of violence,” Fletcher said. “I’ve had emails sent to me saying, ‘I know where your kids live, I know who your grandkids are.'” She also described confrontations where people were “right in my face and physically pushing on me.”

Despite these challenges, Fletcher characterized the SPLC’s extremist label as “almost like a badge of honor,” suggesting it validates that her organization is “standing up for the right principles and values.”

The Justice Department’s investigation into the SPLC comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of civil rights organizations and their financial practices. The charges against the SPLC are particularly notable given the organization’s long-standing role in monitoring hate groups and extremist activities in the United States.

As the legal proceedings against the SPLC progress, Fletcher said Moms for America continues its work, including hosting a traveling festival in all 50 states to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday, focusing on families and children.

“We are shining a light on all that’s good in America so that the darkness will be exposed for what it is because people gravitate to the lake,” Fletcher stated, suggesting that reaching young people and uniting families is key to countering what she perceives as attacks from the SPLC and other progressive organizations.

The Justice Department’s case against the SPLC remains ongoing, and the SPLC had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.