美国司法部周三逮捕了极右翼专家海蒂·贝里希（Heidi Beirich），指控她涉及密谋电汇欺诈、密谋向联邦保险银行提交虚假声明和密谋隐匿洗钱等罪名。[1]这是特朗普政府针对南方贫困法律中心（SPLC）持续调查的最新举动。[1]
根据检察官的指控，贝里希与一名线人存在浪漫关系，该线人曾被SPLC用于渗透白人至上主义团体。[1]司法部声称，SPLC通过虚假实体的银行账户转移捐赠者资金以资助这类线人活动，从而欺骗了捐赠人。[1]司法部在4月份对SPLC提出指控后，本次逮捕成为该案件的进一步行动。[1]起诉书显示，约1.4万美元的捐赠资金进入了贝里希与该线人的联合银行账户。[1]
贝里希曾担任SPLC首席财务官，目前是该组织全球反仇恨与极端主义项目的首席战略官和联合创始人。[1]贝里希的律师对指控提出质疑，表示"自由和公正的社会不会利用司法系统来沉默其政治对手"。[1]SPLC强烈否认相关指控，声称这些指控在政治上具有动机性。[1]
The U.S. Justice Department arrested far-right expert Heidi Beirich on Wednesday, charging her with financial crimes in what constitutes an ongoing case targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) under the Trump administration.[1] Prosecutors allege that Beirich conspired to commit wire fraud, submit false statements to a federally insured bank, and conceal money laundering.[1] According to the Justice Department, the SPLC allegedly deceived donors by establishing fraudulent entities and routing donated funds through their bank accounts to finance informants working to infiltrate white supremacist groups.[1]
The charges against Beirich specifically relate to a now-concluded SPLC program in which the organization paid informants to infiltrate extremist organizations.[1] Court documents indicate that Beirich maintained a romantic relationship with one of these informants, and approximately $14,000 in donated funds were deposited into their joint bank account.[1] Beirich previously served as the SPLC's chief financial officer and currently holds the position of chief strategist and co-founder of the Global Center Against Hate and Extremism.[1]
Beirich's legal team dismissed the allegations, stating that "a free and just society does not weaponize the justice system to silence its political opponents."[1] The SPLC has strongly denied the charges, characterizing them as politically motivated.[1]