Alabama
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty in fraud case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Southern Poverty Law Center, best known for monitoring hate groups, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that it defrauded donors by not disclosing that some of the money would be used to pay informants in extremist organizations.
Attorney Abbe Lowell entered the not guilty plea on behalf of the organization to a superseding indictment that adds details about the charges first announced in April.
The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of funding extremist groups while publicly claiming it was working to dismantle them. The SPLC has denied wrongdoing and said the informant program provided critical intelligence about the work of the groups — information it regularly provided to law enforcement agencies.
The SPLC has accused the Justice Department of carrying out a vindictive prosecution as part of a retribution campaign against President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies.
The superseding indictment alleges that $4.1 million in donations were used to pay informants inside extremist groups. Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
The indictment said the paid informants included KKK members and white nationalists who initially approached the SPLC for help leaving the extremist organizations but were offered monthly payments and expense reimbursements.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in October.
Washington
Judge sets February trial for man charged with planting pipe bombs on the eve of the Capitol riot
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trial is scheduled to start in February for a Virginia man charged with planting pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters.
The trial for Brian J. Cole Jr. is set to begin Feb. 16 and last about two weeks. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali set the trial date during a brief hearing Wednesday.
Zachary Lawson, one of Cole’s lawyers, told Ali that defense attorneys and prosecutors have not discussed the possibility of a plea deal to resolve the case.
On Monday, the judge ruled that Trump’s mass pardons for Capitol rioters did not apply to Cole. Ali refused to dismiss Cole’s case before trial, rejecting defense lawyers’ arguments that their client qualifies for a pardon because his alleged actions are “inextricably and demonstrably tethered” to the events near the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Ali, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, concluded that Trump’s blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters explicitly applied only to people who were convicted of crimes related to the attack.
Cole was arrested nearly a year after Trump, a Republican, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged in the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors have said that Cole gave a confession when FBI agents questioned him after his arrest.
Cole is accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters near the Capitol on the night before the riot. The devices did not detonate before law enforcement officers discovered them on Jan. 6.
A grand jury indicted Cole on four counts: interstate transportation of explosives, malicious intent to use explosives, an act of terrorism while armed and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
Alabama
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit alleging U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville does not meet the residency requirement to run for governor of Alabama.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid dismissed the case on jurisdiction grounds after finding that she did not have the authority to decide the eligibility of a party’s nominee prior to the general election. Reid, a Democrat, wrote that she had “wrestled” with the decision but there is no legal precedent directly addressing the dispute.
Tuberville, who has represented Alabama in the Senate since 2021, is the Republican nominee for governor. The lawsuit argued that Tuberville does not meet the Alabama Constitution’s seven-year residency requirement to be governor of Alabama.
Joe Espy, an attorney representing Tuberville, praised the decision.
Jordan Doufexis, chairman of Tuberville’s campaign, called the residency allegation a “bogus lawsuit” pushed by allies of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones. Jones is running against Tuberville in a rematch of sorts of their 2020 Senate race in which Tuberville defeated Jones.
“Doug Jones’ residency hoax just got sacked for a loss as a Democrat judge in Montgomery dismissed yet another desperate lawsuit from ‘DC Doug’s’ Democrat proxies,” Doufexis said in a statement.
Barry Ragsdale, an attorney representing the two voters who filed the lawsuit, said he plans to appeal the decision.
“Everyone who has viewed the credible evidence knows that Tuberville really lives in a $5 million gated mansion on the beach in Florida and not in that tiny house behind a strip mall in Auburn,” Ragsdale said. “We are confident that, if given a fair opportunity to present that evidence in court, we could easily establish that Tuberville is lying about where he lives and is ineligible to serve as governor.”
Property tax records show Tuberville and his wife own a beach home in Florida valued at $5.6 million. His campaign said Tuberville resides at a home in Auburn, a 1,551-square-foot (144-square meter) property with an appraised value of about $291,780. The Auburn home was initially purchased by his wife and son. The senator’s name was later added to the property in 2024, and the son’s name was removed.
Tuberville was head football coach at Auburn University from 1999 to 2008. He then coached at Texas Tech and the University of Cincinnati. He went to work for ESPN after retiring from coaching. In a 2017 promotional video for ESPN, he talked about moving to Florida after retiring from coaching. Tuberville said he has since moved back to Alabama.
The Alabama Republican Party in June rejected a similar challenge to Tuberville’s eligibility. Party officials cited Tuberville’s property, tax and voting records in rejecting the allegation. Voting records show Tuberville last voted in Florida in November 2018.
He registered to vote in Alabama on March 28, 2019, about two weeks before announcing his run for Senate.
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty in fraud case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Southern Poverty Law Center, best known for monitoring hate groups, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that it defrauded donors by not disclosing that some of the money would be used to pay informants in extremist organizations.
Attorney Abbe Lowell entered the not guilty plea on behalf of the organization to a superseding indictment that adds details about the charges first announced in April.
The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of funding extremist groups while publicly claiming it was working to dismantle them. The SPLC has denied wrongdoing and said the informant program provided critical intelligence about the work of the groups — information it regularly provided to law enforcement agencies.
The SPLC has accused the Justice Department of carrying out a vindictive prosecution as part of a retribution campaign against President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies.
The superseding indictment alleges that $4.1 million in donations were used to pay informants inside extremist groups. Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
The indictment said the paid informants included KKK members and white nationalists who initially approached the SPLC for help leaving the extremist organizations but were offered monthly payments and expense reimbursements.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in October.
Washington
Judge sets February trial for man charged with planting pipe bombs on the eve of the Capitol riot
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trial is scheduled to start in February for a Virginia man charged with planting pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters.
The trial for Brian J. Cole Jr. is set to begin Feb. 16 and last about two weeks. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali set the trial date during a brief hearing Wednesday.
Zachary Lawson, one of Cole’s lawyers, told Ali that defense attorneys and prosecutors have not discussed the possibility of a plea deal to resolve the case.
On Monday, the judge ruled that Trump’s mass pardons for Capitol rioters did not apply to Cole. Ali refused to dismiss Cole’s case before trial, rejecting defense lawyers’ arguments that their client qualifies for a pardon because his alleged actions are “inextricably and demonstrably tethered” to the events near the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Ali, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, concluded that Trump’s blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters explicitly applied only to people who were convicted of crimes related to the attack.
Cole was arrested nearly a year after Trump, a Republican, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged in the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors have said that Cole gave a confession when FBI agents questioned him after his arrest.
Cole is accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters near the Capitol on the night before the riot. The devices did not detonate before law enforcement officers discovered them on Jan. 6.
A grand jury indicted Cole on four counts: interstate transportation of explosives, malicious intent to use explosives, an act of terrorism while armed and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
Alabama
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit alleging U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville does not meet the residency requirement to run for governor of Alabama.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid dismissed the case on jurisdiction grounds after finding that she did not have the authority to decide the eligibility of a party’s nominee prior to the general election. Reid, a Democrat, wrote that she had “wrestled” with the decision but there is no legal precedent directly addressing the dispute.
Tuberville, who has represented Alabama in the Senate since 2021, is the Republican nominee for governor. The lawsuit argued that Tuberville does not meet the Alabama Constitution’s seven-year residency requirement to be governor of Alabama.
Joe Espy, an attorney representing Tuberville, praised the decision.
Jordan Doufexis, chairman of Tuberville’s campaign, called the residency allegation a “bogus lawsuit” pushed by allies of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones. Jones is running against Tuberville in a rematch of sorts of their 2020 Senate race in which Tuberville defeated Jones.
“Doug Jones’ residency hoax just got sacked for a loss as a Democrat judge in Montgomery dismissed yet another desperate lawsuit from ‘DC Doug’s’ Democrat proxies,” Doufexis said in a statement.
Barry Ragsdale, an attorney representing the two voters who filed the lawsuit, said he plans to appeal the decision.
“Everyone who has viewed the credible evidence knows that Tuberville really lives in a $5 million gated mansion on the beach in Florida and not in that tiny house behind a strip mall in Auburn,” Ragsdale said. “We are confident that, if given a fair opportunity to present that evidence in court, we could easily establish that Tuberville is lying about where he lives and is ineligible to serve as governor.”
Property tax records show Tuberville and his wife own a beach home in Florida valued at $5.6 million. His campaign said Tuberville resides at a home in Auburn, a 1,551-square-foot (144-square meter) property with an appraised value of about $291,780. The Auburn home was initially purchased by his wife and son. The senator’s name was later added to the property in 2024, and the son’s name was removed.
Tuberville was head football coach at Auburn University from 1999 to 2008. He then coached at Texas Tech and the University of Cincinnati. He went to work for ESPN after retiring from coaching. In a 2017 promotional video for ESPN, he talked about moving to Florida after retiring from coaching. Tuberville said he has since moved back to Alabama.
The Alabama Republican Party in June rejected a similar challenge to Tuberville’s eligibility. Party officials cited Tuberville’s property, tax and voting records in rejecting the allegation. Voting records show Tuberville last voted in Florida in November 2018.
He registered to vote in Alabama on March 28, 2019, about two weeks before announcing his run for Senate.
