Abbe Lowell enters plea in Montgomery court
The Southern Poverty Law Center pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that it defrauded donors by not disclosing that some donations would be used to pay informants inside extremist organizations.
Attorney Abbe Lowell entered the plea on behalf of the organization, which is best known for monitoring hate groups.
The Justice Department alleges that the group defrauded donors by not disclosing that some donations would be used to pay informants in extremist organizations.
The SPLC has denied wrongdoing. The organization says the informant program provided critical intelligence about the activities of extremist groups, information it regularly shared with law enforcement agencies.
The SPLC has also accused the Justice Department of carrying out a vindictive prosecution as part of a retribution campaign against President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies, an argument it laid out in a May court filing that MSI previously covered.
The case is scheduled to proceed toward a trial that was originally set for October.