“When we name groups ‘hate groups,’ that has nothing to do with any allegation of criminality or some kind of measure of expected violence,” SPLC spokesperson Mark Potok said in 2007. “It’s purely about ideology.”

“I want to say plainly that our aim in life is to destroy these groups, to completely destroy them,” Potok said at another event.

The SPLC falsely labeled Liberty Counsel as a “hate group” in 2011. When the SPLC’s false propaganda failed to “destroy” us, the SPLC embarked on another tactic — lawfare.

The SPLC has launched a frivolous lawsuit against us, in hopes of tying up our attorneys’ time intending to prevent us from accomplishing our real work — defending life, religious freedom, and the natural family.

And the SPLC’s client is demanding an almost laughable 200 BILLION dollars from us. Not even Microsoft mega-billionaire Bill Gates has that much money! The sum demanded is ridiculous, but so is the entire case.

The case centers around a child custody dispute in one of the country’s first same sex divorces involving a Vermont civil union.

After our former client, Lisa Miller, became a Christian and left this lesbian relationship with her biological child, Janet Jenkins sought custody of Lisa’s daughter, Isabella.

This first-of-its-kind case pitted the laws of Vermont (civil unions) against Virginia (marriage as one man and one woman). The case went on in both states for several years. A Vermont judge ordered visitation, even though Janet was not an actual or adoptive parent.

Liberty Counsel always advised Lisa to obey the court orders. But, without any warning, Lisa fled the country with her daughter in September 2009. Janet filed suit in 2012, and then added Liberty Counsel in 2016. Then the SPLC jumped on board and took over the case.

After years of litigation, 186,000 documents reviewed, 25 depositions that included over 11,000 pages of exhibits, 6,800 pages of transcripts, and the sworn testimony of every person eventually convicted of helping Lisa flee the country unequivocally PROVE Liberty Counsel is innocent.

The SPLC KNOWS the facts are on our side. They KNOW they cannot win this case because Liberty Counsel is innocent. But they also know this case is tying up our attorneys' time with thousands of hours of litigation, preventing us from doing our real work, and costing us significant resources.

The SPLC has continued with this effort, presumably to make good on their promise to “destroy” us, their political enemy.

After years of litigation, Liberty Counsel has filed a motion for summary judgment that is hundreds of pages long with thousands of exhibits.

I am asking you to do two things today. Pray that the court upholds the law and rules in favor of Liberty Counsel, and refill our legal fund.

Fighting the SPLC has been incredibly expensive — just as the perpetrators intended. We need your help to refill our litigation war chest so we can focus on the God-given work before us — defending the lives of His innocent unborn children, defending religious freedom, and defending the natural family.

Please, make a donation to our legal fund today so that we can accomplish the work before us. When you do, a special Challenge Grant will DOUBLE the impact of your donation.

Writing for the Washington Post in 2018, David Montgomery noted that the SPLC has established itself as the “ultimate judges of hate in America,” but openly questioned whether the organization was “judging fairly."

“For decades, the hate list was a golden seal of disapproval, considered nonpartisan enough to be heeded by government agencies, police departments, corporations and journalists,” Montgomery wrote.

But now “the list has swept up an increasing number of conservative activists — mostly in the anti-LGBT, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim categories.”

Don’t let the SPLC bankrupt us with its lies. Please support our legal fund today. When you do, a special Challenge Grant will DOUBLE the impact of your donation.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel