The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
October 6, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has officially severed its long-standing relationship with the Montgomery based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), citing concerns over the organization's controversial "hate map" and its alleged shift from civil rights advocacy to partisan defamation.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the decision late last week, stating that the SPLC's materials-once used as intelligence tools-have become politically weaponized and unreliable for federal law enforcement.
"The Southern Poverty Law Center long ago abandoned civil rights work and turned into a partisan smear machine," Patel said. "Their so-called hate map has been used to defame mainstream Americans and even inspired violence."
Patel added that the SPLC's record makes it "unfit for any FBI partnership," and confirmed that the Bureau will no longer use SPLC data or engage in any form of collaboration with the organization.
Background and Conservative Pushback
The FBI's decision follows an August 2025 coalition letter signed by eight conservative leaders-including Liberty Counsel Founder Mat Staver, Moms for Liberty CEO Tina Descovich, and Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk, just weeks before his assassination. The letter was addressed to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, urging federal agencies to stop referencing the SPLC's "defamatory hate map."
The SPLC's map currently lists over 1,400 organizations it deems "hateful or extremist." Critics argue that the list has expanded beyond its original scope to include faith-based, conservative, and parental rights groups that oppose the SPLC's ideological positions.
The letter also referenced the 2012 terrorist attack at the Family Research Council (FRC), where gunman Floyd Corkins confessed he targeted the organization because it was listed on the SPLC's hate map. Corkins was convicted and sentenced to prison for the attempted mass murder.
Federal Use and Fallout
Under the Biden administration, federal agencies-including the FBI's Richmond Field Office-reportedly used SPLC data to label traditional Catholic groups as potential extremist threats. That internal memo, according to the coalition letter, was circulated to more than 1,000 FBI employees nationwide.
The SPLC also recently added Turning Point USA to its hate map, citing the group's support for conservative and faith-based values. The designation remained in place even after Kirk's assassination, further fueling criticism from conservative leaders. Turning Point founder - political philosopher Charlie Kirk - was subsequently assassinated in Utah on Sept. 10.
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