The SPLC survived firebombs and death threats. Will it survive Trump 2.0?

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks alongside Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel a news conference last month to announce charges against to the Southern Poverty Law Center. They allege the group funneled over $3 million into the pockets of white supremacist and extremists groups. Anna Moneymaker/ hide caption toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/ Since its founding in 1971, the Southern Poverty Law Center has faced serious threats. The storied civil rights institution's Montgomery, Ala., offices were firebombed by members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1983. Its co-founder and primary fundraiser, attorney Morris Dees, was the target of numerous death threats . But perhaps none is as serious as the one it currently faces, from the Justice Department. In late April, federal prosecutors announced an indictment against the organization, alleging criminal fraud. The Justice Department accuses the SPLC of misrepresenting the true nature of bank accounts it maintained to pay confidential informants. It also claims that the nonprofit defrauded its donors, by saying it was fighting extremism when it was, in fact, funding extremism through the payment and placement of informants with extremist groups. …