FBI cuts ties with leftist group that put Turning Point USA on its 'hate map' before Kirk assassination

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday the agency has "terminated" all ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a left-leaning nonprofit organization known for its "hate map" and designating groups it views as extremist, including Turning Point USA.

The nonprofit, founded in 1971, originally focused on civil rights legal advocacy. However, in recent years, critics claim it has become highly partisan, targeting conservatives and faith-based organizations alongside actual hate groups.

"The Southern Poverty Law Center long ago abandoned civil rights work and turned into a partisan smear machine," Patel wrote in an announcement on X. "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."