{"id":2612618,"date":"2026-06-09T18:35:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/splc-president-struggles-to-answer-why-left-wing-groups-missing-from-hate-map\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T18:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:39:10","slug":"splc-president-struggles-to-answer-why-left-wing-groups-missing-from-hate-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/splc-president-struggles-to-answer-why-left-wing-groups-missing-from-hate-map\/","title":{"rendered":"SPLC president struggles to answer why left-wing groups missing from hate map"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsplc-president-struggles-to-answer-why-left-wing-groups-missing-from-hate-map%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2612618&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The House Judiciary Committee hearing scrutinized Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) President Bryan Fair\u2019s hate-group designation practices, with Republicans arguing the SPLC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >widely cited \u201chate map\u201d shows ideological inconsistency<\/a>. They questioned why groups tied to antifa, the abortion-rights-opposed group jane\u2019s Revenge, and certain Islamic organizations do not appear on the map-while conservative christian groups such as Turning Point USA and the Family Research Council are labeled hate groups.<\/p>\n<p>Fair defended the SPLC by saying it does not target organizations based on religion and instead classifies groups based on rhetoric and conduct that meet its criteria,including vilifying protected classes or promoting anti-government conspiracy theories. The discussion also revisited the SPLC\u2019s past influence and programming, including references to claims that SPLC materials were used in a controversial FBI memorandum targeting Catholic traditionalists, and allegations from a federal indictment that SPLC informants encouraged participation in extremist events while the institution worked undercover inside hate groups.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing occurred alongside the SPLC\u2019s release of its annual \u201cYear in Hate and Extremism\u201d report, wich argues hard-right activists expanded their influence across major institutions, including the federal government.Democrats largely defended the SPLC and challenged Republican criticism, while defense from witnesses included comparisons between the SPLC\u2019s use of informants and standard investigative methods used by federal law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, the DOJ case against the SPLC has advanced: the SPLC pleaded not guilty, calling the prosecution politically motivated, while asking to dismiss the case and seeking sanctions. A trial date was set for october.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/southern-poverty-law-center\/\">Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a> President Bryan Fair faced sharp questioning from House Republicans on Tuesday over why the organization\u2019s widely cited hate map does not appear to include violent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antifa\/\">antifa<\/a>-affiliated groups, the left-wing pro-abortion-rights Jane\u2019s Revenge, or Islamic organizations that oppose <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lgbt\/\">LGBT<\/a> individuals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUnder your criteria, Turning Point USA, Family Research Council, and other conservative Christian groups are considered hate groups, but Antifa and Jane\u2019s Revenge aren\u2019t,\u201d Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) told Fair during the hearing. \u201cI frankly think it\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4600090\/johnson-immigration-enforcement-bill-gop-caucus\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Johnson looks to muscle through immigration enforcement bill with an unruly caucus<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4599840\/jeffries-trump-maga-circus-knicks-game\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jeffries slams Trump for bringing \u2018MAGA circus\u2019 into town for Knicks game<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4599672\/jeffries-fisa-extension-pulte-removal\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jeffries won\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jeffries-slams-trump-for-bringing-maga-circus-into-town-for-knicks-game\/\" title=\"Jeffries slams Trump for bringing &#039;MAGA circus&#039; into town for Knicks game\">support spy powers extension<\/a> unless Trump fires Bill Pulte<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Destroying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/five-unorthodox-pro-life-bills-advancing-in-state-legislatures\/\" title=\"Five Unorthodox Pro-Life Bills Advancing In State Legislatures\">pregnancy resource centers<\/a> or Catholic churches does not qualify as hate under the Southern Poverty Law Center&#8217;s definition.<\/p>\n<p>Turning Point USA holding a rally does.<\/p>\n<p>Add me to your hate map, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/splcenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@splcenter<\/a>. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P8OqnB8l6S\">pic.twitter.com\/P8OqnB8l6S<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\u2014 Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Lancegooden\/status\/2064385902923682242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 9, 2026<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exchanges came during a House judiciary committee hearing examining the SPLC\u2019s hate group designation practices and broader allegations surrounding the group\u2019s operations, including a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4538115\/southern-poverty-law-center-fraud-indicted\/\">recent federal indictment<\/a> accusing the organization of funding extremist actors while presenting itself as an anti-hate watchdog.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\">Republicans<\/a> repeatedly challenged Fair over what they described as ideological inconsistencies in the SPLC\u2019s criteria for labeling organizations as hateful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chip-roy\/\">Chip Roy<\/a> (R-TX) questioned Fair about the apparent absence of Islamic organizations from the SPLC\u2019s hate map despite some of those groups\u2019 opposition to the lifestyle of LGBT people.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow many extremist Islamic groups do you have of the 1,500 or so organizations you have on your hate map?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fair declined to provide a number and instead said the SPLC does not target organizations based on religion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t target any group because of its religion,\u201d Fair said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roy pressed further, asking whether the SPLC\u2019s position was that Islamic groups were generally supportive of LGBT rights. Fair again declined to answer the question directly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gooden later shifted the discussion to antifa and Jane\u2019s Revenge, an extremist group that has claimed responsibility for attacks on pregnancy resource centers and churches following the Supreme Court\u2019s 2022 abortion ruling, one of which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/florida-woman-convicted-civil-rights-conspiracy-targeting-pregnancy-resource-centers\">involved guilty pleas and a criminal conviction<\/a> of four individuals accused of the vandalisms in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked whether antifa appeared on the SPLC\u2019s hate map, Fair said the organization does not maintain a domestic terrorism list and instead designates groups based on statements and activities that meet its criteria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked whether Jane\u2019s Revenge had been designated a hate group, Fair again pointed to the SPLC\u2019s standards, which include groups that vilify protected classes or promote anti-government conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gooden argued there was a double standard behind SPLC\u2019s classification of conservative organizations, such as Turning Point USA and the Family Research Council, as hate groups while excluding organizations linked to vandalism, violence, and attacks against churches and anti-abortion centers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hearing also revisited criticism of the SPLC\u2019s past influence within federal agencies. Gooden referenced the FBI\u2019s controversial Richmond memorandum that targeted traditionalist Catholics, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2454670\/fbi-richmond-official-who-oversaw-memo-targeting-catholics-testifies-to-congress\/\">which relied in part on SPLC materials<\/a> before being withdrawn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fair defended the organization\u2019s work, saying the SPLC has worked with administrations of both parties and identifies groups based on their rhetoric and conduct rather than their religious affiliation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Judiciary Committee Chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jim-jordan\/\">Jim Jordan<\/a> (R-OH) later questioned Fair about allegations contained in the federal indictment against the SPLC. Jordan cited accusations that paid informants associated with the organization\u2019s former field-source program encouraged participation in extremist events while working undercover inside hate groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you\u2019re trying to stop hate, why would you encourage people to attend a hate rally?\u201d Jordan asked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fair declined to discuss the allegations in detail, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/splc-interim-ceo-house-judiciary-committee-testimony\/\">citing<\/a> the pending case. He said the SPLC ended its field-source program because extremist activity had increasingly migrated online and into government institutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jordan appeared unconvinced.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou said the program was successful and helpful, but now you\u2019re stopping,\u201d Jordan said before criticizing Fair\u2019s explanation. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fair replied, \u201cWe stopped the program because we believe hate and extremism has migrated significantly online and into government agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jordan: Do you wish you hadn&#8217;t done the program? You said the program was successful, helpful, but now you&#8217;re stopping it.<\/p>\n<p>Fair: We stopped the program because we believe hate and extremism has migrated significantly online and in to government agencies. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7YowUrbC66\">pic.twitter.com\/7YowUrbC66<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Acyn (@Acyn) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Acyn\/status\/2064382454765596867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jordan also noted that the SPLC \u201calmost tripled their income\u201d following the chaotic protests in Charlottesville in which one woman was killed by an extremist who drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters at the August 2017 rally. Fair argued that the revenue of his organization increased due to President Donald Trump\u2019s election victory less than one year before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hearing came the same day the SPLC released its annual <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/annual-year-hate-extremism-report-hard-right-groups-power-government\/\">\u201cYear in Hate and Extremism\u201d report<\/a>, which identified 1,263 of what it called hate and anti-government groups operating in 2025 and argued that hard-right activists had expanded their influence throughout major institutions, including the federal government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe hard right is attempting to radicalize generations of young people, predominantly men, by building a more expansive culture and media ecosystem,\u201d Fair said in a statement accompanying the report. He argued that high-ranking federal officials had helped advance policies that harmed immigrants, racial minorities, women, and LGBT communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats on the panel largely defended the SPLC and questioned the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department\u2019s<\/a> case against the organization. Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jamie-raskin\/\">Jamie Raskin<\/a> (D-MD) argued Republicans were unfairly targeting a longstanding civil rights group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Georgetown Law professor Mary McCord, one of the hearing\u2019s witnesses, also pushed back on Republican criticism of the SPLC\u2019s former field-source program. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, noted that the use of confidential informants to gather intelligence on extremist groups mirrors investigative techniques routinely employed by federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> under Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kash-patel\/\">Kash Patel<\/a> announced in October that the bureau had <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3836267\/elon-musk-online-influencers-help-drive-fbi-split-splc-adl\/\">severed all ties with the SPLC<\/a>, signaling that the government would no longer rely on the organization, months before the indictment against the law center was unsealed in April.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ has since secured a superseding indictment against the SPLC, alleging the group secretly funneled over $3 million in donor funds and used its informants to engage in conduct that artificially fueled hate, such as purchasing white Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for participating in cross-burnings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4573526\/paxton-investigation-splc-judge-fraud-trial\/\">PAXTON OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO SPLC AS JUDGE SETS TRIAL FOR FRAUD CASE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SPLC has pleaded not guilty and has formally moved to dismiss the charges as a politically motivated retribution campaign, while also seeking sanctions against prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barring any further delays, the judge presiding over the case has set a trial date for October.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SPLC\u2019s hate map questioned by House GOP for missing antifa,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2612619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Bryan_Fair.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33274,81092,52769,50738,15303],"class_list":["post-2612618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-civil-rights","tag-hate-map","tag-left-wing-groups","tag-misinformation-2","tag-splc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Bryan_Fair.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612618"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612622,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612618\/revisions\/2612622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}