Criminal Justice

New Book Reveals Plot to Assassinate Morris Dees

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A recently published book by a former biker working undercover for the FBI recounts a previously undisclosed plot to kill civil rights lawyer Morris Dees in the late 1990s.

The book, Into the Devil’s Den, details the more than two years that FBI informant David Hall spent as a member of the Aryan Nations in Ohio.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, in its e-newsletter, credits Hall with thwarting the attack in April 1999, while Dees was preparing for trial against the Aryan Nations. The case resulted in a crippling $6.3 million verdict against the white supremacist group.

“Obviously, my family and I are grateful to Dave Hall and the FBI for uncovering and stopping this plot,” said Dees, who is a co-founder of the SPLC. “If not for Hall’s incredible courage, I might not be here today.”

Dees has faced numerous threats on his life over the years. The SPLC notes that, “More than 30 people have been sent to prison for plotting to kill Dees or attack the SPLC.”

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