Council of Conservative Citizens

Name: Council of Conservative Citizens

Type of Organization: Not-for-profit political

Ideologies and Affiliations: Far-right homophobic racist white supremacist white nationalist

Place of Origin: Atlanta, Georgia

Year of Origin: 1985

Founder(s):

Gordon Baum (deceased)

Places of Operation:

St. Louis, Missouri (headquarters); United States

Overview Executive Summary:

The Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) is a U.S. not-for-profit organization with a white supremacist and anti-homosexual agenda. The group bills itself as the “only serious nationwide activist group that sticks up for white rights!”1 The CCC grew out of the anti-integration White Citizens’ Councils, also known as the Citizens Councils of America (CCA), which steadily declined in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s.2 In 1985, workers’ compensation attorney and former CCA Midwest field director Gordon Baum and a group of 30 white men created the CCC in Atlanta, Georgia as a successor organization to the CCA.3 At its height in the 1990s, the CCC included some 15,000 members nationwide. 4

The CCC holds protests, rallies, and other events to advocate a white, Christian, and European America. The CCC believes the U.S. government “must reflect Christian beliefs and values” and mass immigration of “non-European and non-Western people” is endangering the United States’ European character.5 The CCC’s website highlights news and claims to educate about so-called “black-on-white violent crime, and in particular, the seemingly endless incidents involving black-on-white murder,” according to the CCC’s president, Earl P. Holt III.6

Dylann Storm Roof, who murdered nine people at a predominantly black church in South Carolina in June 2015, credited the CCC for introducing him to the phenomenon of “brutal black on White murders.”7 The CCC condemned Roof’s murderous rampage and denied he belonged to the group, but it acknowledged he “gleaned accurate information from” the CCC’s website.8 In 2014, the group launched a social-media campaign in protest of the “thousands of anti-white diatribes every minute” on Twitter.9 The CCC has also become vocal in defending the public display of the Confederate battle flag.10

During the 1990s, right-wing U.S. politicians were openly linked to the CCC. Republicans such as Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice, U.S. Senate Council of Conservative Citizens

Majority Leader Trent Lott, and U.S. Representative Bob Barr of Georgia addressed CCC meetings and praised its values.11 The Republican Party began distancing itself from the CCC after a 1998 Southern Poverty Law Center report drew national attention to the CCC’s racist views. 12 In recent years, Holt has contributed thousands of dollars to the campaigns of right-wing Republicans such as former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.13 The candidates have returned or donated the contributions to distance themselves from the group.14

Doctrine:

The CCC is governed by 14 guiding principles approved in a 2005 Statement of Principles.15 First among these principles is the belief the United States is a Christian nation and its government “must reflect Christian beliefs and values.”16 The CCC opposes “all efforts to deny or weaken” the United States’ “Christian heritage,” including “unconstitutional prohibitions” on school prayer.17

The CCC opposes mass immigration of “non-European and non-Western people” to the United States based on its belief “the United States is a European country and that Americans are part of the European people.”18 The CCC views the United States as “an integral part of European civilization.”19 The CCC supports military force to stop illegal immigration into the country. It opposes “all efforts to mix the races of mankind” and “the integration of the races.”20 The CCC also has a clear anti-homosexual agenda disguised as a dedication to protecting “the structure of the American family.”21 The CCC opposes weakening the traditional family structure “through toleration of sexual licentiousness, homosexuality and other perversions, mixture of the races, pornography in all forms, and subversion of the authority of parents.”22

According to the CCC, the “so-called ‘New World Order’” is staged to abolish individual nations in favor of a one-world government “in which America would vanish and Americans would be enslaved.”23 To prevent this, the CCC advocates an “American First Foreign Policy” that cancels U.S. global alliances, withdraws the U.S. from international peacekeeping missions, and ends all foreign aid.24 As part of this policy, the CCC calls for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations. 25 The CCC also opposes globalized law enforcement, international tribunals, and the extradition of U.S. citizens.26

Despite its dedication to the “Christian heritage” of the United States, the CCC professes support for the personal liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, including freedom of religion.27 CCC leaders frequently reference their rights to free speech. For example, residents of Blue Springs, Missouri, complained in 2012 about the CCC distributing copies of its newspaper. Baum told local media, “If they don’t like it, they can throw it in the recycling bin. We have a right to freedom of speech.”28 The group also supports the right to bear arms and protection of states’ rights. 29

The CCC calls for the abolition of U.S. government agencies “that tyrannically interfere with personal liberty and dignity, private property, the sanctity of the family, and ethical conduct.”30 This includes the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, and Health and Human Services, among others.31

The CCC also holds that hate-crime laws are a “dangerous and frightening step toward government Thought Control” that punishes “thought and expression” rather than actual criminal behavior.32 Education is the responsibility of families and local communities, the CCC believes. It opposes sex education, as well as “multiculturalist” and “Afrocentric” curricula.33 The group also views federal aid for education is an attempt to “brainwash children with political propaganda.”34

Organizational Structure:

Earl P. Holt III serves as the CCC’s president. The group maintains nationwide chapters, which are governed by a national leadership board. In addition to president, the CCC’s 2013 990 tax form also lists the positions of treasurer and vice president, as well as a 19-member volunteer board of directors.35

Financing:

The CCC is a registered not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(4) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The group has set up donation forms on its website, www.conservative-headlines.com. The CCC also charges an annual membership rate of $36. According to the CCC’s 2013 990 tax return, the group received $67,250 in contributions in the 2013 calendar year.36 The CCC incurred $56,865 in expenses that year and recorded

2 Council of Conservative Citizens net assets of $10,831.37 The CCC’s 2013 budget included $29,016 for the dissemination of educational and informational materials, $18,020 for civil rights, social action, and advocacy programs, and $9,314 for written materials.38 Between 2009 and 2013, the CCC received approximately $377,000 in contributions.39

Recruitment:

In 2010, late CCC founder Gordon Baum called the group’s members largely “conservative independents.”40 He also said the CCC includes rabbis, blacks, mixed-race persons, and a Japanese Shinto adherent.41

When a new member joins, the CCC provides him or her a range of incentive gifts, including a membership card, a booklet on Martin Luther King Jr. Day penned by deceased CCC editor Sam Francis and the late Republican U.S. Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, a DVD on what the CCC considers the origins of American liberalism, an annual newsletter, and a subscription to the CCC’s quarterly newspaper, the Citizens Informer. 42 The CCC has also distributed copies of the Citizens Informer in residential communities to draw attention to its cause.43

The CCC invites visitors to its website to join the group in order to help the CCC defend “white rights.”44 There, the CCC allows viewers to see excerpts of its quarterly newspaper, as well as blogs, photos and videos supporting the CCC’s agenda. The site boasts of victories against the Anti-Defamation League and illegal immigration.

1 “More Info,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 7, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/more-info/. 2 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 3 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 4 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 5 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 6 Earl Holt, “Statement by President of the Council of Conservative Citizens,” American Renaissance, June 21, 2015, http://www.amren.com/news/2015/06/statement-by- president-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens/. 7 Brendan O’Connor, “Here Is What Appears to Be Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto,” Gawker, June 20, 2015, http://gawker.com/here-is-what-appears-to-be-dylann- roofs-racist-manifest-1712767241. 8 Earl Holt, “Statement by President of the Council of Conservative Citizens,” American Renaissance, June 21, 2015, http://www.amren.com/news/2015/06/statement-by- president-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens/. 9 “The #WarOnWhites on Twitter,” Council of Conservative Citizens, December 4, 2014, http://conservative-headlines.com/2014/12/the-waronwhites-on-twitter/. 10 Hunter Wallace, “CofCC Members Support the Confederate Battle Flag in St. Louis,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 5, 2015, http://conservative- headlines.com/2015/07/cofcc-members-support-the-confederate-battle-flag-in-st-louis/. 11 John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white- group.html; Thomas B. Edsall, “Conservative Group Accused Of Ties to White Supremacists,” Washington Post, December 19, 1998, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/politics/daily/dec98/southern19.htm. 12 John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white- group.html; Thomas B. Edsall, “Conservative Group Accused Of Ties to White Supremacists,” Washington Post, December 19, 1998, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/politics/daily/dec98/southern19.htm. 13 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 14 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 15 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 16 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 17 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 18 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 19 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 20 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 21 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 22 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 23 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 24 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 25 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 26 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/.

3 Council of Conservative Citizens

27 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 28 Betsy Webster, “Couple angered over controversial literature handed out in neighborhood,” KCTV, last modified May 9, 2012, http://www.kctv5.com/story/17735835/couple-angered-over-controversial-literature-handed-out-in-neighborhood#ixzz3fOsSCnFn. 29 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 30 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 31 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 32 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 33 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 34 “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. 35 “Form 990-EZ,” Guidestar, accessed July 6, 2015, http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/363/354/2013-363354434-0ab227a6-ZO.pdf. 36 “Form 990-EZ,” Guidestar, accessed July 6, 2015, http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/363/354/2013-363354434-0ab227a6-ZO.pdf. 37 “Form 990-EZ,” Guidestar, accessed July 6, 2015, http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/363/354/2013-363354434-0ab227a6-ZO.pdf. 38 “Form 990-EZ,” Guidestar, accessed July 6, 2015, http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/363/354/2013-363354434-0ab227a6-ZO.pdf. 39 Rick Newman, “How a white supremacist tapped into a Jewish fortune,” Yahoo Finance, July 2, 2015, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-a-jewish-fortune-ended-up- funding-a-white-supremacist-170317996.html. 40 Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp, “Crist Ad Surfaces On White Pride Site,” Miami New Times, May 13, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/crist-ad- surfaces-on-white-pride-site-6549092. 41 Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp, “Crist Ad Surfaces On White Pride Site,” Miami New Times, May 13, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/crist-ad- surfaces-on-white-pride-site-6549092. 42 “More Info,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 7, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/more-info/. 43 Betsy Webster, “Couple angered over controversial literature handed out in neighborhood,” KCTV, last modified May 9, 2012, http://www.kctv5.com/story/17735835/couple-angered-over-controversial-literature-handed-out-in-neighborhood#ixzz3fOsSCnFn. 44 “More Info,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 7, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/more-info/.

4 Council of Conservative Citizens

Key Leaders

Samuel Francis Gordon Baum Kyle Rogers Paul Fromm Board of directors’ member, chief Founder (deceased) Webmaster International director editor, and author of Statement of Principles (deceased)

Jared Taylor Earl P. Holt III Spokesman President

5 Council of Conservative Citizens

History: The American National Super PAC, made up of members of the CCC and other white supremacists, launches a campaign in Iowa in support of Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination. CCC spokesman Jared Taylor records an anti-Muslim robocall supporting Trump. The PAC formed in November 2015.Source: Fredreka Schouten, “White nationalists urge support for Donald Trump in Iowa,” USA Today, January 12, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/01/12/white-nationalists-urge-support- donald-trump-iowa/78693162/;“A White Nationalist Super PAC is Campaigning for Trump in Iowa,” Vice News, January 11, 2016, https://news.vice.com/article/a-white- nationalist-super-pac-is-campaigning-for-trump-in-iowa. The FBI tells the Daily Beast that it did not investigate the CCC after the revelation of the group’s mention in Dylann Roof’s manifesto. Source: Katie Zavadski, “The FBI Ignored Dylann Roof’s Hate Group,” Daily Beast, January 8, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/08/the-fbi-ignored- dylann-roof-s-hate-group.html. Holt praises Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for “challenging the establishment Republicans” on illegal immigration. Trump has accused Mexico of sending “rapists” to the United States, and proposed deporting some 11 million illegal immigrants while building a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border.Source: Jeremy Redmon, “Donald Trump’s stand on Mexico, illegal immigration divides Georgians,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 6, 2015, http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/donald-trumps-stand-on-mexico-illegal-immigration-/nnYfR/. August 19, 2015: Two days before the CCC is scheduled to hold its annual meeting at the Guesthouse Inn hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, the hotel cancels the CCC’s reservation. The Guesthouse releases a statement that the CCC is not welcome at the property. The CCC condemns the decision as an attack on free speech.Source: Tracy Connor, “Nashville Hotel Nixes Conference for Group Cited by Charlestown Church Gunman,” NBC News, August 20, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/charleston-church- shooting/nashville-hotel-nixes-council-conservative-citizens-conference-n413286. July 5, 2015: Six CCC members in St. Louis rally in support of the Confederate battle flag as part of a nationwide Stand By The Flag protest. The CCC announces plans to hold its own Confederate flag rally in Missouri later in July.Source: Hunter Wallace, “CofCC Members Support the Confederate Battle Flag in St. Louis,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 5, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/2015/07/cofcc-members-support-the-confederate-battle-flag-in-st-louis/. June 27, 2015: TheBlaze.com suspends a user posting racist comments under Holt’s name. Source: Alan Yuhas, “PayPal appears to suspend donations to group in ‘Dylann Roof manifesto,’” Guardian (London), June 27, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/27/charleston-shooting-paypal-dylann-roof-council-conservative-citizens. June 26, 2015: PayPal suspends the CCC’s account, citing Roof’s manifesto crediting the CCC for indoctrinating him. Source: Alan Yuhas, “PayPal appears to suspend donations to group in ‘Dylann Roof manifesto,’” Guardian (London), June 27, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/27/charleston-shooting-paypal-dylann-roof-council-conservative-citizens. June 22, 2015: The Guardian reports Holt has contributed $65,000 to Republican campaigns in recent years. U.S. Senator Rand Paul’s presidential campaign announces it will donate a $2,250 contribution from Holt to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund for Charleston shooting victims. Paul’s campaign said it would donate all the contributions it could trace back to Holt. Holt reportedly made four contributions to Paul in 2014. Republican presidential hopeful former Senator Rick Santorum also announces he will contribute Holt’s donations to the victims’ fund.Sources: Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto- charlston-shootings-republicans; Eric Lichtblau, “White Supremacist Who Influenced Charleston Suspect Donated to 2016 G.O.P. Campaigns,” New York Times, June 22, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/us/campaign-donations-linked-to-white-supremacist.html. June 21, 2015: Holt posts a statement on the American Renaissance website that it is “not surprising” Roof credited the CCC for “his knowledge of black-on-white violent crime.” Holt says the CCC’s website is “one of perhaps three websites in the world that accurately and honestly report black-on-white violent crime, and in particular, the seemingly endless incidents involving black-on-white murder.” Holt denies responsibility “for the actions of this deranged individual merely because he gleaned accurate information from our website.”Source: Earl Holt, “Statement by President of the Council of Conservative Citizens,” American Renaissance, June 21, 2015, http://www.amren.com/news/2015/06/statement-by-president-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens/. June 21, 2015: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, announces he will return $8,500 in donations to his presidential campaign from Holt. Source: Eric Lichtblau, “White Supremacist Who Influenced Charleston Suspect Donated to 2016 G.O.P. Campaigns,” New York Times, June 22, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/us/campaign-donations-linked-to-white-supremacist.html. June 18, 2015: The CCC posts a condolence message on its website for the victims of the Charleston shooting. The CCC also posts pictures of the nine victims, calling their deaths “devastating.” The statement calls Roof a lone wolf who did not belong to any group, including the CCC.Source: “CofCC deeply saddened by Charleston spree killing,” Council of Conservative Citizens, June 18, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/2015/06/cofcc- deeply-saddened-by-charleston-spree-killing/. June 17, 2015: Dylann Storm Roof murders nine parishioners at a prayer meeting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He sits in the meeting for an hour before he begins shooting. His online manifesto credits the CCC’s website for educating him about “brutal black on White murders.”Source: Brendan O’Connor, “Here Is What Appears to Be Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto,” Gawker, June 20, 2015, http://gawker.com/here-is-what-appears-to- be-dylann-roofs-racist-manifest-1712767241. May 2, 2015: Members of the CCC join the South Knox Ten Mile Club and other participants in a Confederate flag rally at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Source: “University of Tennessee in Knoxville gets flagged,” Council of Conservative Citizens, May 2, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/2015/05/university-of- tennessee-in-knoxville-gets-flagged/.

6 Council of Conservative Citizens

CCC founder George Baum dies at age 74. The Southern Poverty Law Center questions who will take the reins of the CCC. St. Louis chapter leader Holt eventually becomes president.Sources: “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 6, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative- citizens; Keegan Hankes, “Future of the Council of Conservative Citizens Unknown After Founder’s Passing,” Southern Poverty Law Center, March 9, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2015/03/09/future-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens-unknown-after-founders-passing/. Former Ontario teacher and CCC international director Paul Fromm calls diversity a code word for “white genocide” during a CCC meeting in Maryland. Ontario had previously revoked Fromm’s teaching license because of his racist attitudes.Source: Douglas Quan, “Ex-Ontario teacher is international director of American ‘white nationalist' group that influenced Dylann Roof,” National Post, June 23, 2015, http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ex-ontario-teacher-is-international-director- of-american-white-nationalist-group-that-influenced-dylann-roof. December 4, 2014: The CCC launches a 24-hour Twitter campaign using the hashtags #WarOnWhites and #WhiteLivesMatter to counter what the group calls “thousands of anti-white diatribes every minute” on Twitter. Source: “The #WarOnWhites on Twitter,” Council of Conservative Citizens, December 4, 2014, http://conservative-headlines.com/2014/12/the-waronwhites-on-twitter/. Residents complain after the CCC distributes anti-immigration fliers and its newspaper, the Citizens Informer, in Blue Springs, Missouri. The flier says “non-whites are turning America into a third-world slum... Let’s send them home now.”Source: Betsy Webster, “Couple angered over controversial literature handed out in neighborhood,” KCTV, last modified May 9, 2012, http://www.kctv5.com/story/17735835/couple-angered-over-controversial-literature-handed-out-in- neighborhood#ixzz3fOsSCnFn. March 21, 2012: CCC member Kyle Rogers pens an article on Examiner.com attacking the media’s coverage of George Zimmerman, the Florida man accused of killing teenager Trayvon Martin. Source: “2012 CofCC National Conference A Huge Success!,” Citizens Informer, May-August 2012, http://i0.wp.com/cofcc.org/wp- content/uploads/2012/09/ci_front_page.jpg. July 22, 2010: Radio host and CCC member James Edwards writes a blog post on the CCC’s website calling the Tea Party cowardly for backing down after the NAACP accused it of being racist. “Racist means white person,” he wrote, and the Tea Party won’t be a political force until its members “get that through their heads.”Sources: James Edwards, “The Great Tea Party-NAACP Racism Fiasco,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 21, 2010, http://conservative-headlines.com/2010/07/the-great-tea-partynaacp-racism-fiasco/; “Penn Bullock, “White pride Group Urges Tea Party To Flaunt Its Bigotry,” Miami New Times, July 23, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/white-pride-group- urges-tea-party-to-flaunt-its-bigotry-6536590. An election ad for Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s U.S. Senate campaign appears on the CCC’s website. Crist’s campaign denies it placed the ad and said it was taking action to have it removed.Source: Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp, “Crist Ad Surfaces On White Pride Site,” Miami New Times, May 13, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/crist-ad-surfaces-on-white-pride-site-6549092. Holt marries Katherine Ann Cook, widow of wealthy businessman Irving Falk. A month later, Holt begins writing $250 contribution checks to Republican congressmen from Arizona and Hawaii.Source: Rick Newman, “How a white supremacist tapped into a Jewish fortune,” Yahoo Finance, July 2, 2015, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-a-jewish-fortune-ended-up-funding-a-white-supremacist-170317996.html. January 16, 2010: The CCC’s Florida West Coast chapter attends a Tea Party rally in Inverness, Florida. Tea Party Senate candidate Marco Rubio is among the reported 4,500 conservatives in attendance.Sources: “Florida CofCC works crowd at TEA Party,” Council of Conservative Citizens, January 22, 2010, http://conservative-headlines.com/2010/01/florida-cofcc-works-crowd-at-tea-party/; “Penn Bullock, “White pride Group Urges Tea Party To Flaunt Its Bigotry,” Miami New Times, July 23, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/white-pride-group-urges-tea-party-to-flaunt-its-bigotry-6536590. May 23, 2006: CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” displays a graphic of the United States highlighting seven southwestern states Mexico supposedly wants to reconquer. The graphic is attributed to the CCC.Source: “Using Hate Group Materials, Dobbs Slams Illegal Immigration,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Summer 2006, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2006/summer/anti-immigration-movement-0. February 15, 2005: CCC editor Sam Francis dies from complications during surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Francis’s death came just days after he submitted a first draft of the CCC’s Statement of Principles.Sources: “Sam Francis, Voice of the Radical Right, Dies Unexpectedly,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/propaganda; “Statement of Principles,” Council of Conservative Citizens, accessed July 6, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/introduction/statement-of-principles/. January 21, 2005: Joe McCutchen forms a new anti-immigration group in Arkansas called “Protect Arkansas Now.” The Southern Poverty Law Center reports McClutchen had previously belonged to the CCC and had addressed one of the organization’s meetings in 2001. McClutchen denies ever belonging to the CCC.Source: “Extremist Leads New Arkansas Anti-Immigration Group,” Southern Poverty Law Center, January 25, 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/extremist-leads-new-arkansas-anti-immigration-group. November 14, 2003: Holt sends a racist email, including the “N-word,” to a blogger. He apologizes to the executives of WGNU, the radio station that broadcasts his “Right at Night,” program with CCC founder Baum. The show continues to broadcast until new owners switch WGNU’s format to Christian music in 2007.Sources: Jo Mannies, “Leader of St. Louis-based white-rights group accused of influencing Charleston killer,” St. Louis Public Radio, June 22, 2015, http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/leader-st-louis-based-white-rights-group-accused-influencing-charleston-killer; Camille Jackson, “St. Louis Hate Group Leader, Earl Holt, Continues to Host Radio Show After Posting Racist Diatribe Online,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2004, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2004/spring/the-rating-game/belligerent-broadcast; Tim Finkel, “WGNU Sale Finalized; Station to Go Gospel,” St. Louis Riverfront Times, September 27, 2007, http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2007/09/wgnu_sale_finalized_station_to.php. March 23, 1999: A resolution condemning all forms of racism fails in the U.S. House of Representatives. House Democrats accuse the Republican leadership of replacing specific language condemning the CCC with more generic language. Representative John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, calls the generic language “a cover for those Republicans who don’t want to condemn the CCC because so many Republican leaders have been associated with this racist group.”Sources: Associated Press, “Bigotry Measure Defeated in House,” Institute for the Study of Academic Racism, March 24, 1999, http://www.ferris.edu/isar/institut/CCC/housedef.htm

7 Council of Conservative Citizens

; Amber Phillips, “The political success of the Council of Conservative Citizens, explained,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the- fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supremacist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/. February 19, 1999: U.S. Representative Bob Barr, Republican of Georgia, calls the CCC’s racial views “repugnant” in a Washington Post op- ed in response to a December 1998 Post article revealing Barr addressed a CCC national meeting. Barr writes he spoke to the CCC only regarding the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.Sources: Bob Barr, “No friend of the CCC,” Washington Post, February 19, 1999, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1999/02/19/no-friend-of-the-ccc/5e080643-acaa-4aca-9c58-9afae025bc33/; Thomas B. Edsall, “Barr Spoke to White Supremacy Group,” Washington Post, December 11, 1998, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/barr121198.htm. Buddy Witherspoon, a member of the Republican National Committee, says he is renouncing his ties with the CCC. Witherspoon had previously refused a January request by RNC chair Jim Nicholson to cut his ties with the CCC.Source: “National News Briefs; G.O.P. Official to Leave Conservative Group,” New York Times, March 1, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/01/us/national-news-briefs-gop-official-to-leave-conservative-group.html. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, says he has “no firsthand knowledge” of the CCC’s views. However, Arnie Watson, Lott’s uncle and a member of the CCC’s board, says Lott is an honorary member who has spoken at the group’s meetings. Lott issues a statement condemning the CCC’s “white supremacist and racist” views and calling any use of his name by the group unauthorized and “wrong.” In response to criticism of the CCC, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Jim Nicholson asks Republicans to cut ties with the group because “it appears that this group does hold racist views.”Sources: John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white- group.html; Amber Phillips, “The political success of the Council of Conservative Citizens, explained,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supremacist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/; “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative- citizens; Jamie Stengle and Alan Scher Zagier, “Missouri group cited in shooting suspect’s alleged manifesto,” Associated Press, June 22, 2015, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e71b4aedecbe4032a1350eef7950d75c/missouri-group-cited-shooting-suspects-alleged-manifesto. January 2, 1999: Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke holds a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, in support of his Louisiana campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. The fundraiser is organized by Mark Cotterill, the recently resigned chair of the CCC’s national capital region. The audience of about 100 reportedly includes many CCC members. In response to media questions, Cotterill insists the CCC did not sponsor the event.Source: Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke-heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. Sam Francis becomes co-editor of the CCC’s quarterly magazine, the Citizens Informer. Source: “Sam Francis, Voice of the Radical Right, Dies Unexpectedly,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence- report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/propaganda. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz testifies before the House Judiciary Committee regarding President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Dershowitz calls the CCC racist and criticizes U.S. Representative Bob Barr, Republican of Georgia, for speaking at the group’s national meeting.Source: John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white-group.html. December 19, 1998: The Washington Post covers a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center calling the CCC the “reincarnation of the infamous White Citizens Council.” The SPLC cites the CCC’s racist views and ties to other white supremacist groups. It also highlights the CCC’s ties to politicians such as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice.Source: Thomas B. Edsall, “Conservative Group Accused Of Ties to White Supremacists,” Washington Post, December 19, 1998, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/dec98/southern19.htm. Mississippi Republican Governor Kirk Fordice is the keynote speaker at the CCC’s semiannual meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. Source: John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro- white-group.html. After the media highlights the CCC’s racist attitudes, the group withdraws from an Alabama coalition supporting a state judge who displays the Ten Commandments in his courtroom. Source: Adam Nossiter, “Throngs Rally To Aid Judge In Displaying Biblical Code,” New York Times, April 13, 1997, http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/13/us/throngs-rally- to-aid-judge-in-displaying-biblical-code.html. The Washington Times fires CCC member and columnist Sam Francis for a November 1994 speech he made at an American Renaissance conference. Source: “Sam Francis, Voice of the Radical Right, Dies Unexpectedly,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence- report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/propaganda. Holt and Baum start a radio program called “Right at Night” on St. Louis’s WGNU AM station. Source: Rick Newman, “How a white supremacist tapped into a Jewish fortune,” Yahoo Finance, July 2, 2015, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-a-jewish-fortune-ended- up-funding-a-white-supremacist-170317996.html. September 4, 1994: The CCC participates in a 400-person rally in Hilton Head, South Carolina, in support of the Confederate battle flag. The rally is held the day after a 1,000-person NAACP protest march calling for South Carolina to remove the flag from its capitol building.Source: “South Carolina March Supports Use of Rebel Flag,” New York Times, September 5, 1994, http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/05/us/south-carolina-march-supports-use-of-rebel-flag.html. - : Earl P. Holt III serves on the St. Louis school board. He voices opposition to racially integrated busing.Source: Jo Mannies, “Leader of St. Louis-based white-rights group accused of influencing Charleston killer,” St. Louis Public Radio, June 22, 2015, http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/leader-st-louis-based-white-rights-group-accused-influencing-charleston-killer. Gordon Baum, a worker’s compensation attorney and formerly the CCA’s Midwest field director, meets in Atlanta, Georgia, with a group of 30

8 Council of Conservative Citizens white men, including former Georgia governor Lester Maddox. They create the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) as a successor organization to the CCA.Source: “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative-citizens. - : Membership in the CCA steadily decreases. Source: “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council- of-conservative-citizens. The Citizens Councils of America (CCA) forms to oppose school integration in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, which mandated desegregation of American public schools. Source: “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council- of-conservative-citizens.

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Violent history: The CCC does not openly advocate violence. Prior to his June 17, 2015, shooting spree in South Carolina, Dylann Storm Roof cited the CCC as an inspiration in his online manifesto. CCC spokesman Jared Taylor condemned the violence and reiterated that the CCC does not condone or advocate violence.45

45 Douglas Quan, “Ex-Ontario teacher is international director of American ‘white nationalist' group that influenced Dylann Roof,” National Post, June 23, 2015, http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ex-ontario-teacher-is-international-director-of-american-white-nationalist-group-that-influenced-dylann-roof.

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Associations: Ties to Extremist Entities:

American Renaissance Ku Klux Klan American Renaissance is a far-right magazine-turned-blog dedicated The Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center both to discussing the “problems of race.”46 CCC president Earl Holt suggest CCC members have ties to the KKK and other white has been a regular contributor to American Renaissance’s blog. supremacist groups.49 CCC members have previously supported Deceased CCC editor Sam Francis had also addressed an American former KKK leader David Duke’s political activities.50 Renaissance conference, which led to his firing from the Washington Times.47 American Renaissance is also co-edited by CCC spokesman Jared Taylor.48

Citizens Councils of America National Association for the Advancement of White People Following the 1954 Supreme Court decision declaring school The Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center both segregation unconstitutional, the Citizens Councils of America suggest CCC members have ties to the National Association for the (CCA) formed to oppose school integration.51 As integration Advancement of White People and other white supremacist groups. spread, the CCA’s membership steadily declined during the 1970s 54 and ’80s.52 In 1985, Gordon Baum met 30 white men, including former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, in Atlanta, Georgia to create the CCC as a successor organization to the CCA. Baum was formerly the CCA’s Midwest field director.53

Ties to Extremist Individuals: Dylann Storm Roof David Duke

Dylann Storm Roof murdered nine parishioners during a prayer On January 2, 1999, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke held a meeting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for his Louisiana campaign for the Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015.55 His online manifesto U.S. House of Representatives. Event organizer Mark Cotterill had credited the CCC’s website for educating him about “brutal black on recently resigned as chair of the CCC’s national capital region. White murders.”56 The CCC condemned the shooting and Cotterill insisted the CCC did not sponsor the event, but the audience denied Roof belonged to the group.57 Later that month, CCC of about 100 included many CCC members.59 Duke had also President Earl P. Holt III issued a statement on the right-wing previously shown up at a CCC national convention, much to the ire American Renaissance website that it is “not surprising” Roof of Gordon Baum who thought Duke’s presence would hurt the credited the CCC website for “his knowledge of black-on-white CCC’s political legitimacy.60 Baum reportedly threatened a violent crime.” Holt denied responsibility “for the actions of this local newspaper with a lawsuit if it reported Duke’s presence.61 deranged individual merely because he gleaned accurate information from our website.”58

Political Ties:

The CCC has been a “consistent presence in the Southern political landscape,” according to Euan Hague, a DePaul University professor and white supremacy historian.62 The Southern Poverty Law Center maintains a list of 26 state and national politicians who have attended CCC events since 2000.63 The CCC has also supported the Republican Party’s right-wing Tea Party faction. After the NAACP called the Tea Party racist in 2010, a CCC blogger called on the faction to embrace the “racist” label if it wants to be “a political force.”64

CCC president Earl P. Holt III has made at least $65,000 worth of campaign contribution to right-wing politicians.65 Republican presidential hopefuls who received contributions sought to distance themselves from the CCC in late June 2015.66 U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul,

11 Council of Conservative Citizens and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, announced they would donate thousands of dollars of contributions Holt made to their presidential campaigns to a Charleston victims’ fund.67

During the 1990s, right-wing U.S. politicians were openly linked to the CCC. The CCC fostered political connections in order to promote its agenda and encourage new membership. Fear is the primary reason people avoided involvement with the CCC, but seeing politicians’ involvement makes them “think the water’s safe and there’s no sharks out there,” Baum said during the group’s November 1998 meeting.68 Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice was that year’s keynote speaker. Former U.S. Representative Bob Barr and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott had both also previously addressed CCC meetings.69 Lott once told a CCC gathering, “The people in this room stand for the right principles, and the right philosophy.”70 Both Barr and Lott distanced themselves from the group after media reports publicized the CCC’s racist positions.71 In January 1999, Lott insisted he had “no firsthand knowledge” of the CCC’s “white supremacist and racist” views.72

46 “About Us,” American Renaissance, accessed July 10, 2015, http://www.amren.com/about/. 47 “Sam Francis, Voice of the Radical Right, Dies Unexpectedly,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence- report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/propaganda. 48 “About Us,” American Renaissance, accessed July 10, 2015, http://www.amren.com/about/; Jamie Stengle and Alan Scher Zagier, “Missouri group cited in shooting suspect’s alleged manifesto,” Associated Press, June 22, 2015, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e71b4aedecbe4032a1350eef7950d75c/missouri-group-cited-shooting-suspects- alleged-manifesto. 49 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 50 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 51 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 52 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 53 “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of- conservative-citizens. 54 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 55 Jeff Guo, “The legal loophole that allowed Dylann Rood to get a gun,” Washington Post, June 18, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/06/18/the-legal-loophole-that-allowed-dylann-roof-to-get-a-gun/. 56 Brendan O’Connor, “Here Is What Appears to Be Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto,” Gawker, June 20, 2015, http://gawker.com/here-is-what-appears-to-be-dylann- roofs-racist-manifest-1712767241. 57 “CofCC deeply saddened by Charleston spree killing,” Council of Conservative Citizens, June 18, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/2015/06/cofcc-deeply- saddened-by-charleston-spree-killing/. 58 Earl Holt, “Statement by President of the Council of Conservative Citizens,” American Renaissance, June 21, 2015, http://www.amren.com/news/2015/06/statement- by-president-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens/. 59 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 60 “Racist Council of Conservative Citizens Finds Home in Mainstream Politics,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Winter 1998, http://www.splcenter.org/get- informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/1999/winter/sharks-in-the-mainstream. 61 “Racist Council of Conservative Citizens Finds Home in Mainstream Politics,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Winter 1998, http://www.splcenter.org/get- informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/1999/winter/sharks-in-the-mainstream. 62 Amber Phillips, “The political success of the Council of Conservative Citizens, explained,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supremacist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/. 63 “Dozens of Politicians Attend Council of Conservative Citizens Events,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get- informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2004/fall/communing-with-the-council/see-no-evil. 64 James Edwards, “The Great Tea Party-NAACP Racism Fiasco,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 21, 2010, http://conservative-headlines.com/2010/07/the-great- tea-partynaacp-racism-fiasco/; “Penn Bullock, “White pride Group Urges Tea Party To Flaunt Its Bigotry,” Miami New Times, July 23, 2010, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/white-pride-group-urges-tea-party-to-flaunt-its-bigotry-6536590. 65 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 66 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 67 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 68 “Racist Council of Conservative Citizens Finds Home in Mainstream Politics,” Southern Poverty Law Center, Winter 1998, http://www.splcenter.org/get- informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/1999/winter/sharks-in-the-mainstream. 69 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 70

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Bob Herbert, “In America, Mr. Lott’s ‘Big Mistake,’” New York Times, January 7, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/07/opinion/in-america-mr-lott-s-big-mistake.html. 71 Bob Herbert, “In America, Mr. Lott’s ‘Big Mistake,’” New York Times, January 7, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/07/opinion/in-america-mr-lott-s-big- mistake.html. 72 John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white- group.html.

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Media Coverage:

Western Media

Suspected South Carolina shooter Dylann Storm Roof credited the Council of Conservative Citizens for educating him about “brutal black on White murders.”73 This renewed media interest in the CCC’s activities and history. National outlets prominently featured accounts of the CCC’s history and revealed its formerly deep ties with conservative Republican leaders.

The Atlantic’s David Graham elaborated on what differentiated the CCC from other racist organizations in an article published June 22, 2015. The CCC, he wrote, grew out of the Citizens Councils of America, “which aimed to be a (somewhat) more respectable alternative to the Ku Klux Klan for white southerners who opposed integration; the group was sometimes called the ‘uptown Klan.’”74 Graham pointed to the participation of former lawmakers such as U.S. Representative Bob Barr. He also noted recent political contributions by CCC president Earl Holt to a number of Republican presidential campaigns that rejected the contributions after they received media attention following the South Carolina shooting.75 A New York Times article published the same day also pointed to the CCC’s ties to well-known racist figures such as former Klan leader David Duke and Don Black, a former Klan member who founded the white supremacist and neo-Nazi website Stormfront.76

The Guardian first revealed CCC president Earl Holt’s contributions of $65,000 to Republican campaigns in recent years.77 Following up on the Guardian’s revelation, Yahoo Finance detailed how Holt had married the widow of a wealthy businessman and was possibly using that fortune to make his political contributions.78 Based on the Guardian report, multiple outlets such as the Atlantic,79 the Wall Street Journal, 80 and the New York Times81 reported on Holt’s recent contributions to Republican presidential hopefuls U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and others who announced they would return or donate the contributions after the South Carolina shooting because Holt had become what Graham called a “toxic donor.”82 Other publications such as Time83 and the Washington Post84 explored the CCC’s political history with prominent Republican politicians. The CCC “had the ear of some of the nation’s most power politicians” in the 1990s, the Post’s Amber Phillips reported, while the Republican Party “has had trouble keeping the group at arms [sic] length.”85

Following the release of a Southern Poverty Law Center report on the CCC in 1998, prominent media outlets such as the Washington Post and New York Times reported on the CCC’s connections to political leaders such as then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and U.S. Representative Bob Barr.86 The Times continued to cover the political fallout as Barr and Lott tried to distance themselves from the group.87 In January 1999, Lott issued a statement he had “no firsthand knowledge” of the CCC’s “white supremacist and racist” views, but the Times interviewed sources within the CCC who said the senator was an honorary member because of his support.88 The Times also reported Lott had once told a CCC gathering, “The people in this room stand for the right principles, and the right philosophy.”89 73 Brendan O’Connor, “Here Is What Appears to Be Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto,” Gawker, June 20, 2015, http://gawker.com/here-is-what-appears-to-be-dylann- roofs-racist-manifest-1712767241. 74 David Graham, “The White Supremacist Group That Inspired a Racist Manifesto,” Atlantic, June 22, 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/council-of-conservative-citizens-dylann-roof/396467/. 75 David Graham, “The White Supremacist Group That Inspired a Racist Manifesto,” Atlantic, June 22, 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/council-of-conservative-citizens-dylann-roof/396467/. 76 Michael Wines and Lizette Alvarez, “Council of Conservative Citizens Promotes White Primacy, and G.O.P. Ties,” New York Times, June 22, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/us/politics/views-on-race-and-gop-ties-define-group-council-of-conservative-citizens.html?_r=1. 77 Jon Swaine, “Leader of group cited in ‘Dylan Roof manifesto’ donated to top Republicans,” Guardian (London), June 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/us- news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans. 78 Rick Newman, “How a white supremacist tapped into a Jewish fortune,” Yahoo Finance, July 2, 2015, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-a-jewish-fortune-ended-up- funding-a-white-supremacist-170317996.html. 79 David Graham, “The White Supremacist Group That Inspired a Racist Manifesto,” Atlantic, June 22, 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/council-of-conservative-citizens-dylann-roof/396467/. 80 Rebecca Ballhaus, “Republicans Relinquish Donations From White Supremacist Cited by Charleston Suspect,” Wall Street Journal Washington Wire, June 22, 2015, http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/22/republicans-relinquish-donations-from-white-supremacist-who-influenced-charleston-suspect/. 81 Michael Wines and Lizette Alvarez, “Council of Conservative Citizens Promotes White Primacy, and G.O.P. Ties,” New York Times, June 22, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/us/politics/views-on-race-and-gop-ties-define-group-council-of-conservative-citizens.html?_r=1. 82 David Graham, “The White Supremacist Group That Inspired a Racist Manifesto,” Atlantic, June 22, 2015, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/council-of-conservative-citizens-dylann-roof/396467/. 83 Josh Sanburn, “Inside the White Supremacist Group that Influenced Charleston Shooting Suspect,” Time, June 22, 2015, http://time.com/3930993/dylann-roof-council- of-conservative-citizens-charleston/.

14 Council of Conservative Citizens

84 Amber Phillips, “The political success of the Council of Conservative Citizens, explained,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supremacist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/; “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative-citizens. 85 Amber Phillips, “The political success of the Council of Conservative Citizens, explained,” Washington Post, June 22, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supremacist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/; “Council of Conservative Citizens,” Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed July 8, 2015, http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative-citizens. 86 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 87 Michael Janofsky, “David Duke Heads North to Raise Money for House Race,” New York Times, January 3, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/03/us/david-duke- heads-north-to-raise-money-for-house-race.html. 88 John Kifner, “Lott, and Shadow of a Pro-White Group,” New York Times, January 14, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/us/lott-and-shadow-of-a-pro-white- group.html. 89 Bob Herbert, “In America, Mr. Lott’s ‘Big Mistake,’” New York Times, January 7, 1999, http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/07/opinion/in-america-mr-lott-s-big- mistake.html.

15 Council of Conservative Citizens

Rhetoric:

Hunter Wallace (member), July 5, 2015

“The Mainstream Media has launched a crusade to demonize the Confederate Battle Flag. They also want to silence the C of CC to keep us from reporting on the truth of black-on-everyone crime.”90

Hunter Wallace (member), July 4, 2015

“In the wake of Dylann Roof’s shooting spree in Charleston, the Mainstream Media, which is never content to let a crisis go to waste, seized on a national tragedy to launch a disgusting, opportunistic campaign of cultural genocide to demonize the Confederate Battle Flag and eradicate Confederate monuments in the public space across the Southern states.”91

Earl Holt (president), statement on Dylann Roof, June 21, 2015

“It has been brought to the attention of the Council of Conservative Citizens that Dylann Roof–the alleged perpetrator of mass murder in Charleston this week–credits the CofCC website for his knowledge of black-on-white violent crime. This is not surprising: The CofCC is one of perhaps three websites in the world that accurately and honestly report black-on-white violent crime, and in particular, the seemingly endless incidents involving black-on-white murder.”92

Excerpt from Roof’s 2,500-word manifesto, discovered June 2015

“The first website I came to was the Council of Conservative Citizens. There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on White murders. I was in disbelief. At this moment I realized that something was very wrong. How could the news be blowing up the Trayvon Martin case while hundreds of these black on White murders got ignored?”93

CCC website, December 4, 2014

“The media has successfully manipulated people into another frenzy of anti-white hatred today. Nowhere is this more evident than on twitter.” 94

90 Hunter Wallace, “CofCC Members Support the Confederate Battle Flag in St. Louis,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 5, 2015, http://conservative- headlines.com/2015/07/cofcc-members-support-the-confederate-battle-flag-in-st-louis/. 91 Hunter Wallace, “The Mainstream Media’s Attack On The Confederate Battle Flag Has Failed,” Council of Conservative Citizens, July 4, 2015, http://conservative-headlines.com/2015/07/the-mainstream-medias-attack-on-the-confederate-battle-flag-has-failed/. 92 Earl Holt, “Statement by President of the Council of Conservative Citizens,” American Renaissance, June 21, 2015, http://www.amren.com/news/2015/06/statement- by-president-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens/. 93 Brendan O’Connor, “Here Is What Appears to Be Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto,” Gawker, June 20, 2015, http://gawker.com/here-is-what-appears-to-be-dylann- roofs-racist-manifest-1712767241. 94 “The #WarOnWhites on Twitter,” Council of Conservative Citizens, December 4, 2014, http://conservative-headlines.com/2014/12/the-waronwhites-on-twitter/.

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