I'd recommend against using weasel-words like "many" if you're going to dump as your source the author of "Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is Inviting the Next Attack."

If what you're trying to say is "The American political right wing has grown to distrust the SPLC," I'd agree, but I'd note it's the same right wing that couldn't seem to find its voice to condemn a political rally where participants shouted "Jews will not replace us" and "Blood and soil," a rally that resulted in the death of one counter-protester due to vehicular homicide.

Given the evidence I see, sadly, it's not the SPLC I'm leaning towards distrusting.

Is there any rights/liberties special interest organization that hasn't been turned into political crap? The ACLU and NRA are basically the DNC and RNC at this point.