A director from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), who recently designated several prominent parental rights groups as "hate groups," met with Biden administration counterterrorism officials earlier this year, according to White House visitor logs obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. This meeting occurred amidst increasing demands for the Department of Justice to investigate potential "domestic terror" activity within parent groups and school board meetings, stemming from concerns over public school curricula.

The logs reveal that Susan Corke, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, met with National Security Council counterterrorism director John Picarelli on January 6th. Corke's visit followed the release of an SPLC report classifying organizations like "Moms for Liberty" and "Parents Defending Education" as extremist hate groups. The SPLC's yearly "Year In Hate and Extremism" report formally branded these groups as "anti-government extremist groups," describing Moms for Liberty members as frequently seen at school board meetings with signs reading, "We do NOT CO-PARENT with the GOVERNMENT."

The image above shows a speaker at a Moms for Liberty event. (Courtesy of Moms for Liberty)

While the SPLC has historically been recognized for its research on hate and extremism, including legal action against such groups, it has recently faced criticism for labeling political adversaries as extremists. Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) expressed his disapproval, calling the SPLC a "garbage organization" focused on harassing parent advocacy groups.

This image depicts Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice at a town hall in New Hampshire. Ramaswamy has publicly criticized the SPLC's labeling of the group. (Fox News)

Several conservative organizations, including the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Family Research Council (FRC), now share the SPLC's "hate group" designation with organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. The Washington Free Beacon notes the ambiguity surrounding Corke's discussion with the counterterrorism official, but the meeting raises questions about potential collaboration between the Biden administration and liberal groups. This follows the 2021 incident where the Biden DOJ, prompted by the National School Board Association (NSBA), signaled an investigation into parents and parent rights activists at school board meetings over alleged threats and violence comparable to domestic terrorism.

The Washington Free Beacon also highlighted the reliance of federal agencies and the White House on SPLC research, despite concerns about the organization's methodology. An example cited was the FBI's investigation of traditionalist Catholic groups in Virginia, which reportedly consulted SPLC research. At the time of reporting, the SPLC had not responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The embedded video discusses the inclusion of parental rights groups in an "extremism report."