The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has taken it upon itself to “map” hate groups, hate speech, and general wrongthink across the country and is frequently cited by lazy journalists, has fired its co-founder, Morris Dees, and is declining to explain why.

Sounds to me like the head of the SPLC has done some very bad stuff. https://t.co/oENWPGLDDl — Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) March 14, 2019

… worse than being head of the Southern Poverty Law Center? Wow!! — Victor Morton (@vjmfilms) March 14, 2019

The Montgomery Advertiser shares what it knows, which isn’t all that much:

Dees, 82, co-founded the Montgomery-based organization in 1971. SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Dees’ dismissal was effective on Wednesday, March 13. “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,” Cohen said in the emailed statement. “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.”

We have no evidence of this whatsover, but the whole thing does have a #MeToo ring about it.

Speaking of poverty, the SPLC was in the news earlier this same week with word that it had amassed over a half-billion dollars in assets, $121 million of which is parked offshore. And this is after a fall in revenue from the previous year.

Why is SPLC moving $121 million offshore, with some $ in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and British Virgin Islands?

Southern Poverty Surpasses Half Billion in Assets from @JoeSchoffstall via @freebeacon https://t.co/XWjbueoepI — Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) March 12, 2019

… just out of reach. — Sandy (@RightGlockMom) March 12, 2019

To shield that money against the tsunami of lawsuits about to crash on them. — Norvell Rose (@NorvR) March 12, 2019

Last summer, the SPLC agreed to pay a $3.375 million settlement for adding Maajid Nawaz to its “Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists,” and that opened the floodgates to dozens of lawsuits by groups who consider themselves unfairly branded as hate groups and extremists.

They put the capital “P” in poverty! — Paul Ruby (@Metalmuncher) March 13, 2019

Why are people still donating to this organization? Have the heads of SPLC ever been asked what they are doing with all this money they are amassing? — Michael David (@Michael06314489) March 12, 2019

Funny you should ask.

(Morris) Dees new vacation homes that my architect drew up are not going to build themselves, you know — JMO (@J1_O_M) March 12, 2019

Check these out:

Morris Dees, even at 82, was SPLC's highest-paid employee. Here are some pics of the mansion he bought with his hated-filled junk-mail earnings: pic.twitter.com/MwKp3M6ghE — Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) March 14, 2019

From a non-profit? I am in the wrong business. ??‍♂️??‍♂️ — ❌ Steven Iverson ?❌ (@Ant_Vomit) March 14, 2019

Come on, SPLC — you just fired one of your founders. Give us some dirt.

I'm shocked the head of the SPLC would turn out to be a terrible person.

SHOCKED! pic.twitter.com/tIAH1rWm1V — Laurence Watkins (@thelarrywatkins) March 14, 2019

should the media now append "according to the SPLC, an organization founded by a very bad man"? 🙂 — Razib? Khan (@razibkhan) March 14, 2019

Why am I not surprised? Oh, that's right, it's the SPLC. — E. M. DuBois (@emduboisTA) March 14, 2019

Best comment I’ve seen: “Was he too crazy or not crazy enough?” — Lois Cayce (@LBC1983) March 14, 2019

Didn't he have enough hate left in him? — Christopher Cherrone (@thndrdude) March 14, 2019

This should be interesting to see how this plays out — Shawn Wilson (@W4ysted1) March 14, 2019

Any journalists interested in looking into the group they cite whenever there’s a story on right-wing hate groups to be written?

* * *

Update:

The SPLC fired Morris Dees yesterday and announced it today. Multiple sources have told me that the allegations of inappropriate conduct involve sexual harassment incidents. Multiple incidents that have come to light after an initial recent allegation. — Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) March 14, 2019

Related: