By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, August, 31, 2017, the Washington Free Beacon’s Joe Schoffstall is reporting that the Montgomery based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt “charitable” organization, has transferred millions of dollars in cash to foreign accounts in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
According to the research done by Joe Schoffstall, the SPLC recorded 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 2015 business income tax return, shows that they have “financial interests” in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda and 2014 forms reveal some of the SPLC’s transfers to foreign entities, including hundreds of thousands to an account in the Cayman Islands. SPLC also lists Tiger Global Management LLC, a New York-based private equity financial firm, as an agent. There is a foreign partnership between the SPLC and Tiger Global Private Investment Partners IX, L.P., a pooled investment fund in the Cayman Islands and SPLC transferred $960,000 in cash on Nov. 24, 2014 to the fund, along with additional cash transactions to offshore funds.
The Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Mat Staver said in a statement, “For any 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that receives tax deductibility for allegedly serving the public, transparency is a legal obligation. The Southern Poverty Law Center transfers millions of dollars overseas, which is the opposite of being transparent. It is shocking that a U.S.-based ‘charitable’ organization stashes millions of dollars in offshore accounts. I can think of no reason for doing so.”
Liberty Counsel and the SPLC were on opposite sides of the 2016 effort to remove Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore (R). Liberty Counsel defended Roy Moore, while the SPLC brought the original complaint against the popular Chief Justice. Liberty Counsel also defends Christian groups accused of being hate groups by the SPLC because of their teachings that the homosexual lifestyle is immoral.
Chairman Staver said, “The SPLC recklessly mislabels pro-family and conservative organizations as ‘hate groups’ and incites violence. It is directly connected to Floyd Corkins who was convicted under the Domestic Terrorist Act for attempt to commit mass murder against the Family Research Council.”
The SPLC has sued the State of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Corrections claiming that Alabama does not provide adequate mental health care to its prisoners. It is estimated that complying with a recent ruling in that case will cost Alabama taxpayers $30 million a year from the State’s General Fund (SGF).
According to the recent report, the SPLC states it has a staff of 75 lawyers who practice in the area of children’s rights, economic justice, immigrant justice, LGBT rights, and criminal justice reform, but reported spending only $61,000 on legal services in 2015. However, the group spent $20 million on salaries in 2015 with the minimum amount paid to an officer, director, trustee, or key employee in 2015 was $140,000 in base salary, not including other compensation. The president and chief executive officer was given $346,218 in base compensation and $20,000 more in other reportable compensation and non-taxable benefits in 2015 and SPLC’s chief trial counsel, received a salary of $329,560 with $42,000 in additional reportable compensation and non-taxable benefits.
