Per the indictment, SPLC funneled $4.1M in donor funds to extremist-linked sources via shell accounts

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The Extremism Roundup
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*Focused on Evidence Instead of Narratives
* A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

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A Word about this week's Roundup

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*with Richard Green*

Dear Reader,

Violent extremism does not always announce itself clearly. It can surface through an individual threat, an act of hate, an organized movement, or a broader effort to influence and exploit divisions within our society. That is why understanding the full landscape of extremism—and recognizing warning signs before they escalate—matters.

At Clarion Project, we remain committed to exposing emerging threats and expanding public understanding so that individuals and communities are better equipped to recognize risks, remain vigilant, and help prevent violence.

Sincerely,

RIchard Green

CEO, Co-Founder

Clarionproject.org

*SECURITY TIPS FOR THE WEEK: Protecting You & Your Family Online
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**Avoid Scammers
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Scammers often impersonate trusted authorities—such as the IRS, your bank, a utility company or law enforcement—and create urgency by claiming you owe money, face a penalty or must act immediately. Don’t trust caller ID, which can be spoofed. Hang up and contact the organization yourself using the number on its official website, statement or bank card. Never provide passwords, verification codes, Social Security or banking information, or remote access to your computer in response to an unsolicited call, text or email.

*Know AI Risks to Children
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Predators can use AI-generated images, video and audio to create convincing fake identities or impersonate someone a child already knows, making traditional warnings about “online strangers” less effective. Teach children that even familiar-looking photos, voices and video calls can be manipulated, and to verify unusual requests through another trusted method. Set firm boundaries around sharing personal information, locations or explicit images, and encourage children to tell a trusted adult immediately if someone pressures them to keep a conversation secret, send intimate content or move to a private messaging platform.

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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel speak at a press conference following the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center for money laundering, at the DOJ in Washington, DC on April 21, 2026 -Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images  ( [link removed] )

Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel speak at a press conference following the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center for money laundering, at the DOJ in Washington, DC on April 21, 2026 -Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

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Former SPLC Official Charged in Alleged $4.1 Million Extremist-Funding Scheme

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Heidi Beirich, 59, of Palm Springs, Calif., a former senior Southern Poverty Law Center official, was arrested Aug. 12 and charged alongside the SPLC with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank. A second superseding indictment also charges Beirich with conspiracy to commit concealed money laundering.

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According to the indictment, the SPLC allegedly funneled at least $4.1 million in tax-exempt donor funds from 2007 to 2023 through bank accounts purportedly belonging to unrelated businesses to pay sources who led or were affiliated with violent extremist organizations. Prosecutors allege donor money was used to attend and host extremist rallies, recruit members, expand or create extremist chapters, publish extremist literature, and purchase materials for Ku Klux Klan robes, hoods, and cross burnings.

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Prosecutors allege one source, identified as “F-9,” infiltrated the neo-Nazi National Alliance and received more than $1.2 million from the SPLC. The indictment alleges Beirich oversaw payments to F-9 while the two were in a romantic relationship and shared a home and bank accounts. The SPLC has denied wrongdoing, moved to dismiss the case, and said it looks forward to presenting its evidence in court. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Venice Man Charged Over Alleged Mosque and Church Attack Plans

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Giovanni Pimienta, 19, of Venice, Fla., was arrested Aug. 7 and charged with written threats to kill, threats to bomb or conduct a mass shooting, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The investigation began after an FDLE agent received information from the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force about an individual discussing obtaining weapons and carrying out a mass shooting at a mosque.

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According to the probable cause affidavit, Pimienta expressed an intention online to obtain an AR-15 and “shoot up a mosque” and allegedly discussed mass shootings with an individual in South Carolina. Investigators said he published a 61-page manifesto containing calls for social collapse, praise of violence and white supremacist, antisemitic, anti-Black, anti-Muslim and accelerationist views. The affidavit also describes an AI-generated video allegedly depicting Pimienta and a co-conspirator dancing in front of a South Carolina mosque and other online content praising perpetrators of an attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego.

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Investigators said Pimienta later admitted discussing a mosque shooting and described a separate alleged plan targeting a local church, which Pimienta photographed and discussed taking hostages, releasing those who agreed with his views and killing those who did not. According to the affidavit, Pimienta photographed himself holding his father's handgun Aug. 6 and sent the images to online contacts with whom he had discussed the church attack. The following day, officers stopped him as he attempted to enter Venice High School property, later seizing a handgun from his residence. The investigation remains active. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Arab-Israeli Activist Files Police Report Following Alleged Assault During Debate

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Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad told JNS that he filed a police report accusing Dennis Feitosa, a former California congressional candidate and podcaster who goes by “Def Noodles,” of assaulting him during an Aug. 10 debate about Israel in Las Vegas. Haddad described Feitosa to JNS as a “neo-Nazi.”

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Video footage described by JNS showed Feitosa calling Haddad, who served in the Israeli military, a “genocidal” expletive and forcefully grabbing his hand during the debate. Feitosa then appeared to come around the debate table toward Haddad before others intervened. Separate footage from the parking lot afterward showed Feitosa grabbing Haddad from behind by the neck before several people pulled him away and held him on the ground.'

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Feitosa disputed Haddad's account, saying it was “false” that he attacked Haddad first. Haddad said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer who took his statement reviewed the videos and accepted his full complaint. As of the article's publication, no charges had been brought against Feitosa, and the police department told JNS it could not release the incident report. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Islamist Extremism
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New York State Capitol ( [link removed] )

New York State Capitol Building in Albany New York -  CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia

FBI Thwarts an ISIS-inspired Plot to Bomb New York Capitol
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Federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Jessica Bowie for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the New York State Capitol, involving plans to kill state senators and destroy the building.

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According to the complaint, Bowie converted to Islam five years ago, became radicalized online and created multiple social media accounts using an honorific Islamic name.

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The FBI intercepted the plot by conducting a sting operation, in which she purchased explosive materials and a handgun. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Iraqi Man in ICE Custody Following Assault on Activist Jake Lang

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Abbas Abdoush, 57, an Iraqi immigrant, was arrested Aug. 2 after allegedly assaulting right-wing activist Jake Lang during an Arbaeen celebration in Dearborn, Mich., where Lang was using a bullhorn to voice anti-immigrant and pro-ICE messages. Video cited by the New York Post showed a man punching Lang from behind before several people chased him through a parking lot, hitting him and throwing rocks at him. Two other men, both 25, were also arrested.

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Abdoush legally entered the United States in 1992 and later became a lawful permanent resident, according to ICE. Court records cited in the article state that he lost his legal status when he was convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 after intentionally crashing a borrowed van into a woman the previous year. He served more than 15 years in prison and was ordered removed from the United States in June 2022.

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ICE arrested Abdoush upon his release from police custody Aug. 5, describing him as a “criminal illegal alien from Iraq.” As of Aug. 12, ICE said he remained in custody at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Mich., and would receive full due process. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Hate Crimes
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Larry Montes, 46, being forcibly removed from Manhattan Synagogue - via Eyewitness News ABC7 video screenshot ( [link removed] )

Larry Montes, 46, being forcibly removed from Manhattan Synagogue - via Eyewitness News ABC7 video screenshot

Man Faces Hate Crime Charges After Assault at Manhattan Synagogue

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Larry Montes, 46, faces multiple hate crime charges after allegedly disrupting Friday night Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Midtown East, Manhattan. Police said Montes struck a 63-year-old female congregant and spit on and head-butted a member of the synagogue’s security team.

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An NYPD sergeant working a paid detail removed Montes from the synagogue following the alleged assaults. Additional police resources were deployed at the synagogue Saturday as congregants returned following the incident.

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Montes was awaiting arraignment on the hate crime charges at the time of the report. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the incident came amid continued concern over antisemitic hate crimes in the city, stating that Jewish New Yorkers represent about 10% of the city's population but account for more than half of reported hate crimes. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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School Threats
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Homemade shotguns found in 14-year-old Julian Davis’ Florida home during federal and local law enforcement searches - St. Johns County Sheriff's Office via Fox News screenshot ( [link removed] )

Homemade shotguns found in 14-year-old Julian Davis’ Florida home during federal and local law enforcement searches - St. Johns County Sheriff's Office via Fox News screenshot

*Florida Middle School Student Charged as Adult After Homemade Weapons Found*
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Julian Davis, 14, a student at Switzerland Point Middle School in St. Johns County, Fla., was arrested April 30 and charged as an adult with multiple firearms and explosives offenses. Davis and a 13-year-old friend were also charged with conspiracy to commit a robbery with a gun after authorities received a tip that the boys had allegedly discussed on Telegram holding someone at gunpoint to rob them. The younger student was not charged as an adult.

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Searches of Davis’ home uncovered three homemade firearms, ammunition, explosive components, makeshift handcuffs and handwritten materials depicting weapons construction. Investigators also found a tactical vest with white supremacist drawings, a manifesto by the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, a U.S. Army improvised munitions handbook and “The Anarchist Cookbook.” Sheriff Robert Hardwick said Davis’ online activity showed a fixation with perpetrators of mass school shootings and stabbings whom he “wanted to emulate.”

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School officials stressed that there was never a direct threat against Switzerland Point Middle School. Davis pleaded not guilty and remained in the St. Johns County Jail on $240,000 bond at the time of the report. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Arkansas Teen Arrested After Alleged Online School Shooting Threat

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Crawford County, Ark., deputies arrested a 14-year-old Aug. 10 after the teen allegedly posted online about plans to carry out a school shooting, according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. The teen’s identity and the school the teen attended were not disclosed.

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Authorities said the posts claimed the teen had a gun, a plan and a list and included a photograph of the weapon the teen allegedly intended to use.

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​A search of the teen’s home uncovered several rifles and a handgun matching the weapon pictured in the online posts, according to the sheriff’s office. The teen was taken into custody and was being held in a juvenile facility at the time of the report. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Foreign Influence
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The headquarters for the US Department of Energy in Washington, DC - Al Drago/Getty Images ( [link removed] )

The headquarters for the US Department of Energy in Washington, DC - Al Drago/Getty Images

Bill Would Restrict Foreign Adversaries’ Access to U.S. National Laboratories

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New legislation introduced in Congress would restrict nationals of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba from accessing the 17 national laboratories operated by the Department of Energy. The GATE Act, led by Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-NC, with a Senate companion backed by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., would require express clearance from the Energy Department and FBI for covered foreign nationals to enter the facilities.

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The legislation comes amid congressional concerns about foreign access to sensitive U.S. research. According to the article, the Senate Intelligence Committee disclosed in 2024 that approximately 40,000 foreign citizens — including more than 8,000 Chinese and Russian citizens — were granted access to national laboratory premises, information or technology during fiscal 2023. Cotton separately reported that in fiscal 2025, about 1,900 Chinese nationals made short-term visits, 1,300 held long-term research assignments and approximately 2,100 had formal employment at some facilities.

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Under the proposed law, existing access for covered foreign nationals would be revoked, although waivers could be granted when the secretary of energy, in consultation with the director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, determines that allowing access outweighs national security and economic risks. Federal authorities would also be required to notify Congress within 30 days whenever such a waiver is issued. Harrigan said the measure is intended to protect sensitive American research from countries seeking U.S. technology. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

The Chinese Campaign to Shape the World's AI Chatbots
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China is pushing to become a global supplier of AI training data through a national data blueprint, released government/state-media data sets, and free repositories like WanJuan. The goal is to counter the current Western/English-language dominance of the data that shapes chatbots.

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Analysts and researchers say this effort is tied to spreading the Chinese Communist Party's narratives in English, since studies have found that chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude give more Beijing-favorable answers in Chinese than in English.

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Experts say the strategy is to lock developing countries, where cheap Chinese AI models are already popular, into China's technological and ideological orbit. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

QUOTABLE

"Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world that a Freeman, contending for liberty on his own ground, is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth."

-George Washington, address to the Continental Army July 2, 1776

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.

*SUPPORT CLARION PROJECT’S VITAL WORK*
Help us create a world unafraid. Make a donation to help us expose extremists who threaten our safety and security. The Clarion Project is a registered 501(c)(3), donations are tax deductible.

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