The Southern Poverty Law Center fired its founder and former chief litigator Morris Dees this week. In a statement Thursday, the group’s current president gave no specific reason for Mr. Dees‘ “termination” but hinted that it had something to do with charges inconsistent with the group’s public face and stated mission. “As a civil rights organization, the SPLC is committed to ensuring that the conduct of our staff reflects the mission of the organization and the values we hope to instill in the world,” the group’s current president Richard Cohen said in an emailed statement, according to the Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama. “When one of our own fails to meet those standards, no matter his or her role in the organization, we take it seriously and must take appropriate action.” The Advertiser reported that Mr. Dees‘ biography had apparently been scrubbed from the group’s website. Mr. Cohen’s statement also implied that dismissing Mr. Dees will result in changes in the work environment at the SPLC, a self-styled tracker of “hate groups” that had increasingly turned its guns on mainstream conservatism. “Today we announced a number of immediate, concrete next steps we’re taking, including bringing in an outside organization to conduct a comprehensive assessment of our internal climate and workplace practices, to ensure that our talented staff is working in the environment that they deserve – one in which all voices are heard and all staff members are respected,” Mr. Cohen wrote. The termination of the 82-year-old Mr. Dees, who founded the SPLC in 1971, was effective Wednesday, the Advertiser reported.

Morris Dees, and the SPLC in general, have been truly discredited over the last couple years.  While their history includes going after groups like the KKIK, they have failed to go after modern day hate groups like the New Black Panther Party, while instead going after pro-life groups like Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs…which resulted in some lunatic shooting up their offices.  Nowadays, the SPLC is just another agenda-driven, extreme liberal advocacy group, and it has been thoroughly discredited.  That said, it’s interesting that they fired Morris..

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that has gained prominence on the left for its “hate group” designations, pushes millions of dollars to offshore entities as part of its business dealings, records show. Additionally, the nonprofit pays lucrative six-figure salaries to its top directors and key employees while spending little on legal services despite its stated intent of “fighting hate and bigotry” using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy. The Southern Poverty Law Center is perhaps best known for its “hate map,” a collection of organizations the nonprofit deems “domestic hate groups” that lists mainstream conservative organizations alongside racist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and is often referenced in the media. A gunman opened fire at the Washington, D.C., offices of the conservative Family Research Council in 2012 after seeing it listed as an “anti-gay” group on SPLC’s website. The SPLC has turned into a fundraising powerhouse, recording more than $50 million in contributions and $328 million in net assets on its 2015 Form 990, the most recently available tax form from the nonprofit. SPLC’s Form 990-T, its business income tax return, from the same year shows that they have “financial interests” in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda. No information is available beyond the acknowledgment of the interests at the bottom of the form.

SPLC is an extreme liberal, agenda-driven advocacy organization that has been discredited, as we’ve documented here at The Daily Buzz, on numerous occasions.  Yet, the many organs of the dominantly liberal mainstream media like CNN and MSNBC continue to refer to them as some sort of authority on who is a “hate group.”  Why”  Because the SPLC supports their agenda.  That’s not journalism.  It’s agenda advocacy.  SPLC will list the pro-life Family Research Council  as a “hate group,” which is beyond ridiculous.  But, they won’t list Black Lives Matter (which has openly called for the assassination of police officers, and you can Google videos of that if you doubt me) as a hate group.  Go figure.  Anyway, to read the rest of this excellent investigative piece which exposes the corruption of the SPLC, click on the text above.  Congress oughtta investigate why this corrupt organization still has a tax exempt status.