The Family Research Council, a conservative Christian nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., is calling on the federal government to force the Southern Poverty Law Center to pay restitution for what FRC President Tony Perkins describes as harm caused by the organization's designation of his group as a "hate group." The demand comes after the DOJ indicted SPLC in June 2026 for allegedly funneling millions of donor dollars to extremist organizations it claimed to be fighting.
The controversy dates to August 15, 2012, when Floyd Lee Corkins II entered FRC's headquarters and opened fire. Leo Johnson, FRC's building manager, was shot and wounded. Corkins was arrested immediately and later pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, receiving a 25-year prison sentence in 2013.
In an interrogation video released by FRC, investigators asked how the organization came to be his target. "It was, uh — Southern Poverty Law lists, uh anti-gay groups," Corkins said. "I found them online. I did a little bit of research, went to the website, stuff like that."
The SPLC designated FRC as a "hate group" in 2010, claiming it was an anti-LGBT organization. Perkins, who is also a pastor and former police officer, said he was in a meeting when the shooting occurred.
What the Left Is Saying
Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about targeting the SPLC, arguing that the nonprofit has played a historically important role in documenting extremist organizations. Some progressive commentators note that Corkins' actions were those of an individual who made a choice to commit violence, and that labeling advocacy organizations as responsible for lone-wolf attacks could have a chilling effect on legitimate civil society work.
Others argue that the current DOJ investigation focuses specifically on financial fraud regarding donor funds, which they say is a separate question from whether SPLC's listing decisions were appropriate. Defenders of SPLC note the organization has also targeted white supremacist groups and far-right organizations throughout its history, and suggest that attacking its credibility serves political purposes.
Progressive legal analysts have noted that restitution claims would require establishing direct causation between SPLC's advocacy work and specific acts of violence — a high legal bar that may be difficult to meet in court.
What the Right Is Saying
Perkins said he does not want the federal government to shut down the SPLC, but he hopes courts will compel the organization to pay restitution to its victims. "They're sitting on $750 million," Perkins told Fox News Digital. "Part of what I hope the government, the federal government, the courts get to is making them pay restitution to their victims."
Perkins argued that FRC has had to pay $8 million out of pocket for heightened security since the 2012 shooting. He said he believes SPLC saw its original mission fighting groups like the KKK "drying up" in the 1980s and 1990s and sought a new purpose.
"I think they began to peddle that legacy to those on the left ... beginning around 2010, 2012, when there was a big effort to redefine marriage," Perkins said. "They wanted to leverage that to help the left by going after conservative groups that were standing in the way."
Conservative legal advocates have pointed to Corkins' own statements as evidence that SPLC's designations can inspire violence, arguing the organization has a responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of labeling mainstream religious and advocacy organizations alongside violent extremist groups.
What the Numbers Show
The DOJ indictment alleges SPLC funneled approximately $3 million to $4 million in donor funds through shell companies to extremist organizations it claimed to oppose. The indictment specifically mentions funding of events including Ku Klux Klan cross burnings and the 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally.
Corkins was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2013 to charges including committing an act of terrorism while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition. He was found in possession of two fully loaded 15-round magazines, a box of ammunition, and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches — which prosecutors said he intended to smear on victims' faces.
FRC has stated it has spent approximately $8 million on enhanced security measures since the shooting.
The Bottom Line
The convergence of SPLC's financial indictment and FRC's restitution demand creates a test case for how courts handle claims that advocacy organizations bear responsibility for violence committed by individuals who cited their work. Legal experts say establishing causation between a designation and an act of violence presents significant challenges under current law. The DOJ indictment focuses on alleged fraud in how donor money was spent, which is a separate matter from whether SPLC's listing decisions were lawful or caused harm. What happens next will likely depend on the outcome of the federal case against SPLC and any subsequent civil litigation brought by groups like FRC.