Day: April 23, 2026

FBI vs SPLC and ADL
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The FBI under Director Kash Patel officially severed all ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in October 2025. More recently, in April 2026, the SPLC was charged by a federal grand jury with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Developments

Termination of Partnerships: On October 3, 2025, Director Patel announced the end of the FBI’s long-standing collaboration with both organizations, labeling them “partisan smear machines”.
Indictment of the SPLC: In April 2026, the SPLC and its leadership were indicted on multiple federal fraud charges. Patel alleged that the SPLC used donor funds—raised under the guise of dismantling extremism—to “actually pay the leadership” of the very extremist groups they claimed to target.
Catalyst for Separation: The move followed intense pressure from conservative figures and groups, particularly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, an activist whose organization, Turning Point USA, had been featured in an SPLC report on “The Year in Hate”.
Impact on Investigations: For decades, the FBI had relied on these groups for intelligence regarding domestic extremism and hate-motivated violence. Critics of the move, such as those cited by Axios, argue this dismantles critical safeguards against violent extremists. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Summary of Stances
Organization [2, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12] FBI / Kash Patel StanceOrganization ResponseSPLCTermed a “partisan smear machine” that defames mainstream Americans; recently indicted for fraud.Described Patel’s actions as politically motivated and his rhetoric as “disqualifying”.ADLCriticized for “running disgraceful ops spying on Americans” and operating as a “political front”.Expressed “deep respect” for the FBI but reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Jewish people amid surging antisemitism.
[1]  apnews.com
[2]  axios.com
[3]  evrimagaci.org
[4]  youtube.com
[5]  youtube.com
[6]  theguardian.com
[7]  thehill.com
[8]  wbrc.com
[9]  milwaukeeindependent.com
[10]  baptistnews.com
[11]  firstamendmentwatch.org
[12]  jns.org

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Apr 23, 2026