FBI Cuts Ties With SPLC and ADL

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau has severed ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center, calling the group a “partisan smear machine” and criticizing its interactive “Hate Map” for defaming mainstream Americans and inspiring violence. Patel said the decision followed heightened criticism — including reactions after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and renewed scrutiny over the SPLC’s inclusion of Turning Point USA in its “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” report, which characterized TPUSA as a hard‑right group promoting authoritarian, white Christian supremacist ideas. He said the FBI will not rely on “politicized or agenda‑driven intelligence” from outside groups, and the announcement came days after the bureau also cut ties with the Anti‑Defamation League amid conservative complaints. Conservative figures, including Elon Musk and a coalition of groups, urged the White House to purge SPLC data from federal use, while civil‑rights advocates warned the moves could create gaps in monitoring genuine domestic threats. The SPLC and ADL have long provided research, training and threat analysis to law enforcement, and Patel’s decisions mark a rapid reshaping of FBI partnerships amid debates over bias and the role of outside watchdogs.