House Hearing Questions SPLC’s Labeling of Christian Groups While Violent Extremist Organizations Escape Designation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) faced intense questioning before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday as lawmakers pressed interim President and CEO Bryan Fair over the organization’s controversial “hate map” and alleged political bias.
The hearing, titled “Manufacturing Hate, Part II,” came as the SPLC faces an 11-count federal indictment alleging wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering tied to covert payments to individuals embedded within extremist organizations over a period of years. According to congressional leaders, the hearing was part of an investigation into the organization’s practices and credibility amid the Department of Justice allegations. The indictment centers on allegations of improper financial activity involving confidential informants and donor-funded operations. Fair testified under subpoena in what marked the first time an SPLC representative appeared to answer congressional questions after previous hearings the organization declined to attend.
Much of the hearing centered on the SPLC’s “hate map,” which includes groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, Turning Point USA, Family Research Council, and Liberty Counsel.
Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) challenged Fair over whether Americans practicing their Christian faith and exercising First Amendment rights are being unfairly portrayed as extremists.
“The SPLC doesn’t identify any group based on religion,” Fair responded. “We identify groups based on the statements they make, that their leaders make, based on their activities.”
Fair defended the SPLC’s criteria, saying organizations are designated for rhetoric deemed “anti-LGBTQ,” demeaning toward immutable characteristics, or rooted in conspiracy theories.
Gooden pushed back, questioning why groups such as Antifa and Jane’s Revenge — which has claimed responsibility for attacks on pregnancy centers and churches — are not similarly classified.
“Turning Point USA, Family Research Council and other conservative Christian groups are considered hate groups,” Gooden said. “But Antifa and Jane’s Revenge … those are not hate groups.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) also questioned whether anti-Semitic or Islamic extremist organizations appear on the SPLC’s map, challenging Fair over what critics see as inconsistencies in the organization’s standards.
Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also testified, criticizing the SPLC and saying its labels fuel division.
“It makes people hate,” King said. “I’m for peace and love. One blood, one human race.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said the SPLC has unfairly targeted faith-based organizations while overlooking violent extremism.
“The ‘hate map’ appears to be a one-way street,” Staver said, “labeling faith-based groups who stand firm for religious liberty, sanctity of life, and biological reality as hateful while giving violent extremist groups a free pass.”
