Republican resolution condemns SPLC for ‘bias’
Republican National Committee delegates approved a resolution this past weekend condemning the Southern Poverty Law Center, calling the Montgomery-based organization “a far-left organization with an obvious bias.”
“The SPLC is a radical organization, and that the federal government should not view this organization as a legitimate foundation equipped to provide actionable information to DHS or any other government agency,” said the resolution, which challenged the legitimacy of the organization to identify hate groups.
The SPLC, which conducts investigations and engages in civil rights litigation, said in a statement Sunday that the resolution gave “comfort to hate groups” and accused the RNC of being selective in its condemnation.
“While the Republican Party approved this resolution, notably, it did not denounce organizations that promote antisemitism, Islamophobia, neonazis, anti-lgbt sentiment or racism,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the SPLC, in a statement. “It only criticized the SPLC for challenging hate groups that have found a place in the Republican Party.”
The resolution was the latest clash between the SPLC and conservative groups over the SPLC’S Hatewatch list, which tracks radical and extremist groups. Conservatives accuse the SPLC of pursuing a partisan agenda and sweeping up groups with a conservative agenda with explicitly racist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan.
The SPLC says groups with “beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics” make the list, and say their criteria is similar to the FBI’S definition of a hate crime.
The RNC resolution cited the presence of the Family Research Council (FRC) on the list, accusing the SPLC of leading to a 2012 shooting at the FRC.
On Aug. 15 of that year, a man armed with a pistol and two magazines of ammunition shot a security guard in the arm at the FRC headquarters in Washington, D.C. before the guard subdued him.
The suspect, Floyd Corkins, said he found the address of the FRC — which says “homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it as it is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects” — through the SPLC website.
Tony Perkins, the president of the FRC, accused the SPLC at the time of “inciting hatred, and in this case a clear connection to violence.”
The SPLC said at the time it “condemned all acts of violence” and defended its listing of the FRC on the list, citing statements from members of the group that falsely asserted that LGBTQ individuals are more likely to engage in child abuse than heterosexual ones.
The RNC resolution also condemned former President Barack Obama’s administration of giving the SPLC “the ability to provide input to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)” and acting “upon their request that the federal government formally identify individuals and organizations as ‘hate groups.’ “
A 2017 Politico profile of SPLC founder Morris Dees said SPLC coordinated with the federal government during the Obama administration, though the profile did not provide details. A message seeking comment was sent to SPLC on Monday.
The SPLC resolution was part of several approved this weekend ahead of the Republican National Convention, which began Monday morning. The RNC also approved resolutions defending the federal celebration of the Christopher Columbus holiday; condemning “cancel culture” and reaffirming its support for President Donald Trump. The RNC chose not to adopt a platform for the 2020 election.
“While the Republican Party approved this resolution, notably, it did not denounce organizations that promote antisemitism, Islamophobia, neo-nazis, anti-lgbt sentiment or racism.”
Margaret Huang SPLC president and CEO