Attorney General's News Release

September 13, 2005

Judge to hold Friday hearing on Nixon's request to prevent Jewwatch.com operator from soliciting Katrina donations

St. Louis, Mo. — A St. Louis County Circuit Court judge will hold a hearing Friday on Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's request for an injunction to prevent a self-proclaimed white separatist from soliciting donations via multiple Web sites, supposedly for the benefit of Hurricane Katrina victims.

Last week Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order from the court against Frank Weltner, of St. Louis, operator of the "Jew Watch" Web site and former host of an area radio show with racist themes. The restraining order temporarily froze Weltner's accounts, took his Katrina fundraising Web sites off line, and prohibited him from further soliciting donations.

In a lawsuit filed in St. Louis, Nixon alleged that Weltner registered at least 10 Internet domain names with Katrina-related themes, and that Weltner was misleading consumers and redirecting money collected to anti-Semitic and racist organizations. Individuals who visited such Web sites as donate-katrina.com and katrinafamilies.com saw photos of neighborhoods in rubble and families in peril along with a pitch to donate, and then were redirected to a central Web site — InternetDonations.org. The problem, Nixon said, is that this is the same collection point as individuals pledging donations to JewWatch.com.

"When Americans open their hearts and their wallets to lend a helping hand, they need to be reassured that their donation is going toward its intended purpose," Nixon said. "Racism and anti-Semitism belong in the dustbins of history, not lurking behind charitable appeals."

From 1992 to January 2005, Weltner was known as "Couch Potato" on his St. Louis radio show that boasted racist and anti-Semitic themes. He also has been associated with the National Alliance, listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as one of the nation's largest and most active neo-Nazi hate groups; and is listed as a contributor to NA-spinoff National Vanguard, which prominently displays an icon on its Web site that says: "Katrina: The Aftermath. Help white victims."

Listen to Attorney General Nixon as he comments on the hurricane relief scam.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to the Press Secretary.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818