Eisen Frets DOJ Charges ‘Jeopardize’ People On SPLC’s Payroll
The article describes a virtual press conference hosted by the Democracy Defenders Fund, led by former Obama official Norman Eisen, where Eisen defended the Southern Poverty law Center (SPLC) against a recent Justice Department indictment. It claims the DOJ alleges 11 counts including wire fraud and related offenses tied to an alleged “covert” informant network, with assertions that SPLC paid about $3 million from donor money to people affiliated with extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan over nearly a decade.
Eisen portrays the indictment as politically motivated “retribution” and argues that paying informants is standard practice in law enforcement, claiming the FBI and DOJ knew about it.He also suggests the case endangers individuals who allegedly cooperated with SPLC to help expose extremist groups. The piece argues Eisen’s defense mirrors broader left-leaning and media efforts to downplay the charges and frames the indictment as partisan rather than criminal.
The article concludes by noting similar defense and framing in other outlets, including claims that “the FBI dose it too,” and provides background on the author.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has long served as an important fixture in the left’s efforts to vilify and attack conservatives. So, it wasn’t exactly surprising when former Obama administration lackey Norm Eisen eagerly defended the group over its allegedly unlawful informant scheme that paid members of racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
The moment occurred on Wednesday during a virtual press conference hosted by the Democracy Defenders Fund. Founded and led by Eisen, the left-wing organization launched in 2024 to partake “in legal advocacy opposing Republican efforts to implement changes to election administration and procedures,” according to the Capital Research Center’s InfluenceWatch database.
As The Federalist previously reported, Eisen helped found numerous anti-Trump groups “that participated in at least four lawfare attempts to throw Trump off the ballot or in jail during his 2024 presidential candidacy.”
The topic of Wednesday’s presser was the Justice Department’s recent indictment of the SPLC, which has spent years falsely classifying nonviolent conservative organizations as “hate groups” alongside actual extremist groups. According to the agency, the far-left group has been charged with 11 counts of “wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.” The indictment specifically contained allegations that the SPLC paid $3 million in donor money to individuals affiliated with organizations like the KKK as part of a purported “covert” informant network for nearly 10 years.
Describing the charges as an “assault on the SPLC,” Eisen used his speaking time to run a full-throated defense of the far-left group bankrolling the very extremist organizations it claims it’s fighting.
He characterized the DOJ’s indictment as “nothing less than a direct attack on our country’s freedom of speech, our democracy, and the future of independent organizations in the nonprofit and charitable sector that are committed to making this country a safer and better place.” As if he were pulling words from his magic bag of left-wing talking points, he then accused the Trump administration of “using mis- and disinformation and outright lies to silence its critics and handcuff[] organizations that it perceives as a threat.”
“This indictment, as you’ve heard today, simply does not hold water. It’s political retribution pure and simple. And whether it’s at the pre-trial stage or through … trial, it is going to be rejected,” Eisen claimed.
[READ:[READ:SPLC Indictment Shows Partisan Activists Were Running The FBI Domestic Terror Program]
Eisen went on to defend the SPLC’s alleged paying of informants by contending it’s “common practice across law enforcement agencies” and “was known” by the Justice Department and FBI. Equally notable, however, is when the former Obama official let attendees know whose “safety” he’s really concerned about — the individuals affiliated with the extremist groups who are allegedly getting bankrolled by the SPLC.
“The case comes dangerously close and indeed goes over the line in identifying individuals who cooperated with the SPLC to expose hate groups from the inside, jeopardizing their safety, and discouraging others who may be willing to come forward and protect us all from violent extremism,” Eisen said.
Eisen concluded his remarks by predicting that the indictment will “meet the same fate” as previously dismissed charges brought against former FBI Director James Comey. The famed Russia collusion hoaxer was more recently indicted for his apparent “86 47” threat against Trump, with the DOJ also reportedly considering a different set of charges related to alleged leaking of classified information.
[READ:[READ:James Comey Will Be Convicted — By History]
Eisen is hardly the only leftist to run defense for the SPLC and its purported activities. America’s corporate media have also joined the fray by downplaying their alleged crimes and misleading readers into believing the far-left group’s alleged informant scheme is nothing different than what law enforcement does.
“Key civil rights group indicted for paying informants. But FBI does it too,” one USA Today headline read.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
