Radical Project 2025 Organizations Key in Political Hit Job
Delray Beach, FL — Truth Wins Out (TWO) today issued a strong statement of support for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) following a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration, calling the action a transparent attempt to silence one of the nation’s most effective watchdogs against extremism and bigotry.
According to recent reporting, the lawsuit targets the SPLC’s long-standing investigative practices, including the use of confidential sources to monitor extremist organizations. Truth Wins Out asserts that these tactics are widely used in journalism and law enforcement and are essential tools in preventing violence and exposing dangerous movements. This bogus lawsuit was essentially pushed by Project 2025 hate groups who objected to being truthfully labeled for their unreconstructed bigotry.
“This lawsuit is not about justice—it is about retaliation,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “The SPLC has spent decades documenting hate with precision and integrity. That effectiveness has made them a target of extremist groups and their political allies, who now seek to weaponize the government to shut them down.”
Truth Wins Out emphasized that many of the organizations supporting the lawsuit against the SPLC have themselves been designated as hate groups based on extensive, evidence-based research. Some of these groups, Besen noted, are closely aligned with Project 2025, a coordinated effort to reshape federal institutions and roll back civil rights protections. The current legal attack on the SPLC, he said, is part of a broader campaign to dismantle institutions that expose extremism and hold bad actors accountable.
“The groups cheering this lawsuit are not victims—they are organizations with long records of promoting anti-LGBTQ falsehoods, racism, misogyny, conspiracy theories, and outright discrimination,” Besen said. “They are angry because the SPLC has accurately documented their activities. This is about silencing truth.”
Truth Wins Out underscored the critical role the SPLC has played in holding anti-LGBTQ organizations accountable. Through rigorous investigations and public reporting, the SPLC has exposed the harms caused by so-called “conversion therapy,” a discredited and dangerous practice that claims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The SPLC has been instrumental in revealing the human cost of anti-LGBTQ extremism,” Besen said. “They have documented how these groups operate, the pseudoscience they promote, and the real damage they inflict on vulnerable people—especially young people. That work has saved lives.”
Truth Wins Out has directly partnered with the SPLC in this fight for accountability. In the landmark Ferguson v. JONAH case, the two organizations worked together to challenge a New Jersey-based conversion therapy group that engaged in fraudulent and harmful practices. The case resulted in a decisive legal victory, with the court finding that the organization had violated consumer protection laws. The ruling forced the group out of business and set a powerful precedent against the conversion therapy industry.
“Our collaboration with the SPLC in the JONAH case demonstrated what happens when evidence and courage come together,” Besen said. “We exposed a fraudulent operation that was harming people under the guise of ‘therapy,’ and we ensured they could no longer operate. That is exactly the kind of accountability the SPLC delivers—and exactly why they are under attack.”
Truth Wins Out warned that the implications of the lawsuit extend far beyond a single organization. If successful, it could create a chilling effect on nonprofits, journalists, and advocates who rely on investigative techniques to expose wrongdoing.
“This is a dangerous moment,” Besen concluded. “If the government can target an organization like the SPLC for doing its job, then no watchdog group is safe. We stand firmly with the SPLC and will continue to fight any effort to silence those who speak truth about hate and extremism.”
About Truth Wins Out
Truth Wins Out is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to advance liberty and democracy, protect the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, combat religious extremism, and fight against the spread of disinformation.
Contact Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Email: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Thank you very much for clarifying. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I am glad you clarified.