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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Sam Levine in New York

US lawmakers say DoJ rushed Southern Poverty Law Center indictment, citing whistleblower

a man in a suit speaks into microphone
Todd Blanche, the acting US attorney general, speaks during a press conference at the justice department in Washington DC on Wednesday. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters

A justice department lawyer working in Todd Blanche’s office pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) despite their concerns about the strength of the case, a whistleblower told House Democrats.

The lawyer, Aakash Singh, reportedly “ordered” federal prosecutors in Alabama “to rush through the indictment of the SPLC, despite serious concerns about the strength of the case”, Jamie Raskin and Mary Gay Scanlon said in a letter on Friday. The Democrats also said they were opening an investigation into the matter. The letter was first reported by MS Now.

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