The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has officially severed all ties with the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday.
In a statement posted to social media, Patel said the SPLC “long ago abandoned civil rights work and turned into a partisan smear machine,” condemning the organization’s history of labeling mainstream conservative and Christian groups as “hate organizations.”
“Their so-called ‘hate map’ has been used to defame mainstream Americans and even inspired violence,” Patel wrote. “That disgraceful record makes them unfit for any FBI partnership. 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 SPLC’s controversial “Hate Map,” created in 2000, has drawn increasing scrutiny for lumping conservative organizations alongside extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. In recent years, the SPLC labeled Turning Point USA, founded by free speech advocate Charlie Kirk, as an “anti-government extremist group.” Kirk was tragically assassinated in September while speaking at Utah Valley University.
The SPLC has also targeted parental rights organizations like Moms for Liberty, along with Gays Against Groomers, a group opposing the sexualization of children. Critics argue the SPLC’s actions have fueled harassment and violence against ordinary Americans.
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec praised Patel’s move, writing, “Thank you to Kash Patel for severing the FBI’s ties to the SPLC. This organization is responsible for terrible acts in our country… America will be greater when these hate factories are discredited and disbanded.”
The FBI’s decision marks a major shift, distancing the agency from a group long accused of politicizing intelligence and spreading ideological bias under the guise of civil rights advocacy.
