Biden admin sued for records surrounding parents' rights groups being labeled 'extremist'

WASHINGTON (TND) — The Heritage Foundation, via its Oversight Project, filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Biden administration demanding it provide documents related to its coordination with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The lawsuit from Heritage’s Oversight Project is on behalf of the parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty and alleges several Biden admin departments failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request when asked. Through the act, all agencies that receive government funding must provide documents to anyone who requests them within reason.

In Heritage’s FOIA request, the organization demanded all information connecting the Biden administration to SPLC. The group had previously released a report listing Moms for Liberty as an “extremist” group of “far-right antigovernment parents.”

Heritage cited media coverage showing that SPLC officials have repeatedly visited the White House and that it relied on the group’s “hate group” list to “weaponize the federal government against American citizens.”

In a release on the lawsuit, Oversight Project Director Mike Howell said the group will fight to disclose the information it is legally entitled to.

“President Biden needs to leave the moms alone,” he said. “Under our rights as American citizens, we demanded from these agencies all communications about Moms for Liberty.” “In clear violation of the law, these agencies are withholding this information. So now, we are fighting back for parents across the country and suing President Biden and his corrupt administration.”

Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice described the lack of governmental transparency as concerning.

“We are very thankful the Heritage Foundation is standing with our moms and fighting to get the public information surrounding the Biden Administration's work with the SPLC. Why would they not comply with public records requests? What do they have to hide? We look forward to the truth coming to light,” Justice said.

Last week, the U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardonalikened concerned parents to those who make scenes in public, saying "I respect differences of opinion. I don't have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting as if they know what's right for kids.”

The head of the nation’s largest teachers union earlier this month compared parental rights advocates to segregationists, noting similarities between them and parents who fought against famous court case Brown v. Board of Education.