March 9, 2015 - 3:42 pm

As family and friends of Gordon Baum, founder and CEO of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), gather to lay him to rest, the future of one of the oldest and most influential hate groups in the United States remains uncertain.

Baum, a former personal injury lawyer in the St. Louis area, formed the CCC in 1985 from the mailing lists of the White Citizens Councils of America (formally called the Citizens Councils of America). At the height of its influence, the CCC reached a membership of 15,000 with real political clout, including the membership of former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) and then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

The end of Baum’s 30-year tenure at the CCC leaves a major void at the heart of an organization for which he was the bedrock. But, in the wake of Baum’s passing, discord already has emerged.

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The leadership confusion is not new. In recent years, a growing tactical divide has emerged within the CCC as the organization’s established old guard has become overshadowed by the new and more visible core of young activists who have become the face of the organization. Among them are Rogers and Brad Griffin of the blog Occidental Dissent, who is also Baum’s son-in-law.

For Rogers, who also runs a website that sells apparel to hate groups, an increased leadership role in the CCC represents a significant financial opportunity. He has demonstrated business acumen by driving large amounts of traffic to the CCC website, while also quietly running ads for his personal business. But Griffin seems a more likely choice given his family ties to Baum and the prominence of his voice in the white nationalist movement as the primary author at his oft-cited website.

cont'd...

Link: http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2015/03/09/future-of-the-council-of-conservative-citizens-unknown-after-founders-passing/#more-19046