SouthernWorldwide.com – A conservative advocacy group, the Family Research Council (FRC), is demanding restitution following the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for allegedly funneling millions of dollars to extremist organizations. The SPLC had previously labeled the FRC a “hate group” in 2010.
The demand for restitution comes in the wake of a 2012 terror attack on the FRC’s Washington D.C. headquarters, which was inspired by the SPLC’s online list of “anti-gay groups.” The shooter, Floyd Lee Corkins II, admitted he found the FRC on this list.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, recounted the harrowing events of August 15, 2012, when a gunman opened fire in their building. Perkins was in a meeting when the security alarm sounded, and upon reaching the lobby, he discovered the building manager, Leo Johnson, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
Johnson had been shot by Floyd Lee Corkins II, who had entered the building under the pretense of an internship interview. Corkins was armed with a handgun and also carried two loaded magazines, ammunition, and fifteen Chick-fil-A sandwiches. He intended to smear the sandwiches on his victims’ faces, as he also believed the restaurant chain to be anti-gay.
“It was a shocking day for our staff, especially — there was glass and blood and bullet holes in our lobby,” Perkins stated, describing the scene as something he never expected to witness again after his career as a police officer.
Corkins was apprehended by federal authorities at the scene. He was subsequently charged with committing an act of terrorism while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition. In 2013, Corkins pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
During an interrogation video released by the FRC, investigators questioned Corkins about how he selected the FRC as his target. Corkins responded, “It was, uh — Southern Poverty Law lists, uh anti-gay groups. I found them online. I did a little bit of research, went to the website, stuff like that.”
The SPLC is currently facing scrutiny from the Justice Department for allegations of funneling approximately $4 million in donor funds to shell companies. These funds were reportedly intended to finance extremist organizations that the SPLC claimed to be fighting.
Perkins suggested that the SPLC, which historically combatted groups like the Ku Klux Klan, saw its funding sources diminish in the late 20th century. According to Perkins, this led the organization to seek new ways to maintain its relevance and funding.
“I think they began to peddle that legacy to those on the left … in particular, beginning around 2010, 2012, when there was a big effort to redefine marriage,” Perkins explained. He believes the SPLC aimed to leverage this to aid the political left by targeting conservative groups that opposed their agenda, while simultaneously maintaining connections to white supremacist extremist groups to create an association with conservative and Christian organizations.
Perkins expressed his belief that the SPLC exaggerated the threat of white supremacy for political gain. “It was like they were fattening them up, keeping them alive so that they could use them for their bigger political purpose, and that was to be able to help the left advance their agenda by marginalizing and silencing conservative groups,” he stated.
Since the 2012 shooting, the Family Research Council has incurred over $8 million in expenses for enhanced security measures. Perkins hopes that the government and courts will compel the SPLC to provide restitution to its victims, especially given its substantial financial reserves.
