The FBI is ending its relationship with the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center because of the organization’s relentless smearing of conservative groups.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the change Friday in a statement accusing the SPLC of inspiring violence against Americans with its “hate map” of conservative organizations across the country.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center long ago abandoned civil rights work and turned into a partisan smear machine. Their so-called ‘hate map’ has been used to defame mainstream Americans and even inspired violence. That disgraceful record makes them unfit for any FBI partnership,” Patel said.
“In April, during our Anti-Christian Bias Panel, I made it clear that the FBI will never rely on politicized or agenda-driven intelligence from outside groups — and certainly not from the SPLC. Under this FBI, all ties with the SPLC have officially been terminated.”
The Daily Signal first reported on Patel’s announcement.
The SPLC routinely smears conservative individuals and organizations by accusing them of extremism and likening them to neo-Nazis. Its tracking of extremism does not include any leftist organizations, even the ones that engage in violent and anti-American protests.
The SPLC’s extraordinarily large endowment exceeds $700 million and its research is regularly cited in the media and elsewhere. Its profiles of conservatives are usually placed high on Google searches and impact artificial intelligence programs. The SPLC has consistently opposed President Donald Trump and remains a fixture in the world of leftist activism and litigation.
“We promised accountability. Promises matter,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.
Infamously, the SPLC inspired anti-Catholic activities at the FBI, including the Richmond, Va., field office’s anti-Catholic memo generated in 2023. The FBI retracted the memo after sustained public backlash because it compared traditionalist Catholics to violent extremists. Patel has overseen resignations and terminations related to the FBI’s anti-Catholic activities since taking over the agency, following through on a promise he made during his confirmation.
During the Biden administration, the SPLC assisted the Justice Department with drafting talking points and helped train federal prosecutors, according to records obtained by America First Legal, a conservative group tied to senior Trump official Stephen Miller. The records show the Biden DOJ invited the SPLC to a meeting with high-ranking officials, sought the SPLC’s advice on issues they should be tracking, and looped the SPLC into ongoing litigation.
In addition, the SPLC was given early access to the FBI’s 2021 hate crimes data, along with several other leftist groups. The records were first reported Friday by the New York Post.
“Every American should be bothered by the fact that the Biden DOJ appears to have acted as a pawn of radical activists at the discredited, beclowned SPLC,” said Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal.
Patel’s decision to end the FBI’s relationship with the SPLC comes only days after the bureau cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League because it classified Turning Point USA as an extremist group. Historically an antisemitism watchdog, the ADL spent much of the past decade expanding its portfolio onto other issues and maligning conservative viewpoints. Its page on Turning Point USA continued to be available even after the assassination of its founder, conservative activist Charlie Kirk.