Chick-fil-A attempted to quell blowback from conservatives over a previous donation to an anti-Christian organization Wednesday, seemingly blaming an anonymous staffer for the decision while maintaining that the check was cut to “change lives” in the spirit of “thinking about others.”

The fast food chain, known for its chicken sandwiches and upholding of Christian values, has come under fire in recent days for halting donations to faith-based organizations — such as the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes — while previously donating to far-left groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The restaurant giant’s 2017 990 IRS filing states that it not only gave a $2,500 donation to the SPLC, but also to various pro-abortion and pro-LGBT rights groups, Townhall.com pointed out.

In a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, Chick-fil-A conceded that it made the donation to the left-wing extremist organization but pointed to Christian groups that it also gave to, including the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The statement does not say whether the company will halt any future SPLC donations, as it infamously announced regarding the Christian organizations after a disingenuous pressure campaign from far-left activists.

“The SPLC donation was made by a volunteer member of the Chick-fil-A Foundation Advisory Board,” a press representative for Chick-fil-A press said.

“Each volunteer advisor, in 2017, was offered the opportunity to recommend a grant recipient,” the statement continued. “The grants were given to a range of organizations, including Meals on Wheels, Atlanta Mission, the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund, Georgia Historical Society and brain health research at Emory University.”

The spokesperson then cited Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, whose Christian values “still guide the business today.”

“He famously said: ‘Probably the greatest gift that God has given any one of us is the power that we have to change people’s lives by what we do,’” the spokesperson added. “The best run company is the company that is forever thinking about others. It is in this spirit that all donations are made [emphasis added].”

However, the statement offers no detail on what positive service the SPLC provides for everyday people. The partisan organization has amassed roughly $500 million in assets through its activism, with millions stashed in offshore accounts. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) wrote the IRS last year, asking for a review of the SPLC’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, arguing “the SPLC’s defining characteristic is to fundraise off of defamation.”

That defamation includes lumping in mainstream conservative organizations with neo-Nazis, labeling them “hate groups” for holding the Christian values Chick-fil-A touts. In 2012, The SPLC ‘s defamatory “hate map” aided an attempted domestic terror attack on the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian public policy ministry known for defending religious liberty and the pro-life movement.

Breitbart News reported:

In 2013, Floyd Lee Corkins II was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the first-ever conviction for domestic terrorism under Washington, DC, law. Corkins pled guilty to assault with intent to kill and committing an act of terrorism for entering the FRC’s office in August 2012 and shooting a black security guard, who ultimately thwarted his attack. Corkins used the SPLC’s “hate map” — an error–filled digital map giving the addresses of entities that the org deems “hate groups” — to locate the FRC for his planned massacre.

Corkins was carrying a bag of Chick-fil-A sandwiches when he entered the building and started shooting. He later told prosecutors that he planned to smear some of the food on the faces of his would-be victims.

…

[Years later,] FRC remains a target on the map, even after the listing nearly got some of its staff killed.

In a statement Wednesday, FRC president Tony Perkins condemned Chick-fil-A Foundation’s donation to the SPLC, branding the group as “one of the most extreme anti-Christian groups in America.”

“Not only has Chick-fil-A abandoned donations to Christian groups including the Salvation Army, it has donated to one of the most extreme anti-Christian groups in America,” Perkins continued “Anyone who opposes the SPLC, including many Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and traditional conservatives, is slandered and slapped with the ‘extremist’ label or even worse, their ‘hate group’ designation.”

“It’s time for Christians to find a fast food alternative to Chick-fil-A,” he added.