Chicago, IL, January 8, 2003 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauded law enforcement for today's arrest of Matt Hale, leader of the virulently anti-Semitic and racist World Church of the Creator, on charges he attempted to solicit the murder of a federal judge. ADL said the arrest "was not surprising given Matt Hale's propensity for violence and hatemongering and his contempt for the law."

"Matt Hale has been outspoken, even praiseworthy, of those followers who seek to violently act out their hatred against Jews, Blacks and other minorities, so his arrest on charges of soliciting the murder of a judge is not surprising," said Richard S. Hirschhaut, ADL Chicago Regional Director. "We have long known his propensity for violence."

Having monitored the growth of World Church of the Creator for many years, ADL has become increasingly concerned about the violent propensities of Hale and his group. In 1999, one of Hale's followers, Benjamin Smith, went on a murderous shooting spree in the Midwest targeting Jews, African-Americans and Asian-Americans that left two dead and nine wounded before killing himself. Smith had previously been designated as a "Creator of the Year." Since the shootings, Hale has continued to praise Smith's deeds and hold him up as a model member of his group.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.