Conservative group demands restitution after DOJ indictment links SPLC to 2012 terror attack

The president of a conservative nonprofit targeted in a 2012 shooting is calling for financial restitution after federal prosecutors indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly funneling millions to extremist organizations. Tony Perkins, who leads the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., said he knew immediately that the gunman who attacked his workplace was motivated by the SPLC’s designation of his organization as a “hate group.” The attack left one employee wounded and forced the organization to spend $8 million on enhanced security measures over the past 13 years.

Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the FRC building on August 15, 2012, carrying a firearm, ammunition and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches he planned to smear on victims’ faces. The then-28-year-old shooter gained access by claiming he was interviewing for an internship position. He opened fire in the lobby, wounding building manager Leo Johnson before being subdued and arrested. Corkins is currently serving a 25-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2013 to committing an act of terrorism while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and interstate transportation of firearms and ammunition.

Shooter explicitly cited SPLC website in confession video

During his interrogation, investigators asked Corkins how he selected the Family Research Council as his target. In a video later released by the organization, the shooter responded that he found the group through the Southern Poverty Law Center’s online list of what they classified as anti-gay organizations. Corkins stated he conducted research on the SPLC website and gathered information about the conservative nonprofit before planning his attack. The confession provided direct evidence linking the shooting to the nonprofit’s public designations.

Perkins, who previously served as a police officer, recalled the chaotic moments when the building’s security system triggered during a meeting. He ran downstairs to find Johnson lying in a pool of blood surrounded by police officers who had arrived on scene. The lobby showed signs of violence with shattered glass, blood spatter and bullet holes marking the walls. For Perkins and his staff, the scene represented a shocking return to the type of violence he thought he had left behind after his law enforcement career ended.

Justice Department indictment reveals alleged funding scheme

Federal prosecutors recently indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly channeling over $4 million in donor funds through shell companies to extremist groups the organization publicly claimed to oppose. The indictment alleges the SPLC funded events including Ku Klux Klan cross burnings and the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The charges have prompted renewed scrutiny of the organization’s financial practices and its role in labeling conservative groups as hate organizations alongside genuine white supremacist movements.

According to the allegations, the SPLC maintained financial connections with extremist organizations while simultaneously soliciting donations to fight those same groups. Prosecutors contend the nonprofit used the continued existence of white supremacist organizations to justify placing conservative Christian groups on adjacent watch lists. The strategy allegedly allowed the SPLC to maintain its legacy as a civil rights organization while expanding its influence in contemporary political debates.

Conservative leader claims SPLC manufactured threats for political gain

Perkins argues the Southern Poverty Law Center shifted its focus when legitimate civil rights targets became scarce in the 1980s and 1990s. He believes the organization recognized its original mission of combating groups like the Ku Klux Klan was no longer generating sufficient donor interest or revenue. Rather than scaling back operations, Perkins contends the SPLC began targeting mainstream conservative and Christian organizations to maintain relevance and fundraising capabilities.

The FRC president specifically points to the period around 2010 and 2012, when debates over marriage definition intensified, as a turning point. He claims the SPLC strategically positioned conservative groups that opposed redefining marriage next to white supremacist organizations on their public lists. By maintaining financial ties to actual extremist groups while labeling conservative nonprofits as hate organizations, Perkins argues the SPLC created a false equivalency that served left-wing political objectives while endangering lives.

• The Family Research Council received the SPLC hate group designation in 2010 for positions on LGBT issues
• Two years later, Floyd Lee Corkins attacked the organization’s headquarters after finding it on SPLC lists
• Building manager Leo Johnson survived gunshot wounds sustained while confronting the armed intruder
• Corkins carried 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches intended to symbolize his opposition to the Christian restaurant chain
• The shooter now serves 25 years in federal prison following his 2013 guilty plea

Organization seeks compensation for enhanced security costs

The Family Research Council has spent $8 million from its operating budget on heightened security measures since the 2012 attack. Perkins emphasized he does not want federal authorities to shut down the Southern Poverty Law Center but hopes courts will order the organization to pay restitution to victims affected by their designations. The SPLC currently maintains assets totaling approximately $750 million, according to public financial records.

Perkins views potential restitution payments as accountability rather than punishment. He argues organizations harmed by what he characterizes as reckless labeling practices deserve compensation for security costs, trauma and operational disruptions. The federal indictment may provide legal grounds for civil claims by groups previously designated as hate organizations by the SPLC. Multiple conservative and Christian nonprofits have faced similar security concerns after being placed on SPLC watch lists alongside violent extremist movements.

SPLC declines comment as legal challenges mount

The Southern Poverty Law Center did not respond to requests for comment regarding either the federal indictment or Perkins’ call for restitution payments. The organization faces growing legal pressure from multiple directions as prosecutors pursue criminal charges and affected organizations consider civil litigation. Congressional committees have also launched investigations into the nonprofit’s financial practices and the methodology used to designate groups as hate organizations.

The case highlights ongoing debates about the responsibilities of advocacy organizations when publishing lists that classify groups as dangerous or extremist. Critics argue such designations can inspire violence when unstable individuals use them as targeting guides. Supporters maintain that identifying hate groups serves a legitimate public interest even when controversial organizations dispute their inclusion. The federal prosecution of the SPLC represents the first time criminal charges have addressed the potential consequences of organizational designation practices.