The Federal Bureau of Investigations removed links to the Southern Poverty Law Center from the civil rights division’s web page last week, breaking ties with the group that inspired a would-be mass shooter with its “Hate Map.”
The SPLC — and the Anti-Defamation League, an outfit dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism — are no longer identified on the FBI’s hate crimes page as partners.
“Upon review, the Civil Rights program only provides links to resources within the federal government,” an FBI spokesman told The Daily Caller. “While we appreciate the tremendous support we receive from a variety of organizations, we have elected not to identify those groups on the civil rights page.”
But the ADL is furious — the FBI reportedly did not inform the group they planned to cancel their affiliation
“We are shocked, surprised and disappointed that this would be done without any consultation with groups such as ours who have been working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on issues of hate crime. We look forward to having further conversations with them on this issue,” Abraham H. Foxman, the national director of the ADL, said in a statement.
The SPLC has a torrid relationship with the domestic terrorism it claims to condemn.
Back in 2012, 28-year-old Floyd Corkins II used the SPLC’s Hate Map, which lists groups ranging from the Klu Klux Klan to pro-traditional marriage nonprofits as “active hate groups,” to locate the Family Research Council based in Washington, D.C. Armed with one hundred rounds of ammunition and 15 Chik-Fil-A sandwiches, he planned to “smother in [the] faces” of his victims. Corkins ended shooting up FRC’s lobby and wounding a security guard.
He was subdued by the wounded security guard and arrested before he could claim any lives — and charged with three felonies, committing an act of terrorism while armed, assault with intent to kill and transporting a firearm over state lines.
During an FBI interrogation, a blasé Corkins told agents he wanted to “kill as many people as possible” and move on to another massacre at another organization on his list, which prosecutors declined to release. (RELATED: Report: Suspected Family Research Council gunman volunteered at LGBT center)
“It was, uh — Southern Poverty Law lists, uh, anti-gay groups. I found them online — did a little research, went to the website, stuff like that,” Corkins said, according to released FBI footage.
Corkins was later sentenced to 25 years in prison. (RELATED: Floyd Corkins pleads guilty, and there’s a reason you’ve never heard of him)
The SPLC did not take down their Hate Map or their designation of FRC as a hate group after Corkins used it to commit terrorism. It’s still listed as active in D.C. A long online description sneers at FRC’s “anti-gay crusade,” and, most notably, declines to condemn Corkins with the same virulence — in fact, it doesn’t condemn Corkins at all, but merely quotes Corkins’ attorney’s allegation that his client was mentally ill.
For its part, FRC approves of the FBI’s move to sever ties with the unrepentant SPLC.
“Any association between the federal government and an entity that is connected in federal court to domestic terrorism should be a no-brainer; it just shouldn’t happen,” said FRC’s executive vice president, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin in a statement provided to TheDC. “Last year the U.S. Secretary of the Army described the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate labeling of Christian groups as ‘inaccurate, objectionable, and otherwise inconsistent with current Army policy.’ We agree. We once again call on the SPLC to stop demonizing pro-family organizations simply because we stand for different values.”
The SPLC did not return multiple requests for comment by press time.
