On June 3, 2019, in a great victory for free expression and the rule of law, Judge Cormac Carney granted the Rise Above Movement defendants’ motions to dismiss their indictments in the United States v. Rundo, et al. prosecution in California under the Anti-Riot Act. FEF had filed an amicus brief in support of the motions to dismiss and the court’s analysis showed signs of having been influenced by FEF’s arguments. Read Judge Carney’s opinion here.
The anti-American nonprofit world has long been a problem for advocates of traditional American values. Today, unfortunately, its universe is bigger and more influential than ever. The Internal Revenue Code requires nonprofit organizations to adhere to certain legal strictures in order to benefit from the nonprofit, tax-free status such organizations enjoy. This includes numerous prohibited activities such as engaging in…
A prominent attorney in Baltimore, Md. has filed a landmark lawsuit in federal court against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), one of its officers, Heidi Beirich, and a former officer, Mark Potok. Glen Allen alleges that the two, in the course of orchestrating Allen’s dismissal from his position as an attorney with the Baltimore City Law Department, committed numerous…
In October 2018, following national publicity generated from Propublica articles, four members of the Rise Above Movement (“RAM”) who had attended the Charlottesville demonstrations in August 2017 were arrested by federal authorities in California. These young men were charged with conspiracy to riot under 18 U.S.C. 371 and travel with intent to riot under 18 U.S.C. 2101, felonies that carry…
On November 13, 2019, Judge Katherine Blake dismissed Glen Allen’s complaint against Heidi Beirich and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Allen had filed his complaint in the federal court in December 2018., alleging nine counts, including claims under the Racketeer and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) statute and common law claims for tortious interference and defamation. After the SPLC defendants moved to…
On May 31, 2019, Judge Cormac Carney granted FEF’s application to file its amicus (Friend of the Court) brief in the United States v. Rundo, et al. prosecution in the federal District Court for the Central District of California. This Rundo case is one of two federal prosecutions of Rise Above Movement (“RAM”) members under the federal Anti-Riot Act (the…
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, Glen Allen argued his SPLC appeal in the Fourth Circuit before Judges Motz, Agee, and Keenan. This oral argument, including both sides, is about 40 minutes long. Here is an audio of the argument: https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/19-2419-20210126.mp3 The judges seemed to have read the briefs and asked appropriate questions, including some rather difficult ones for the SPLC’s…