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Southern Poverty Law Center head Bryan Fair defended the left-wing organization’s decision to list mainstream conservative groups on its “hate map” during a fiery hearing Tuesday.
Fair, SPLC’s interim executive, doubled down on the group’s designation of Turning Point USA, a conservative activist organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, as extremist when pressed by GOP lawmakers. Turning Point was listed alongside White supremacist and neo-Nazi groups in the law center’s 2025 “Year in Hate & Extremism” report released Tuesday.
The exchange comes as Republicans scrutinize the law center’s close ties to the Biden administration amid the Department of Justice’s pending criminal case against the nonprofit over alleged financial crimes.
“Will you recant it, or are you going to double down and say that these people, including the martyred Charlie Kirk, in fact, somehow deserve to be on your hate list?” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked Fair.
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“Congressman, as I said in my statement,” Fair began answering, referring to his opening remarks in which he said he could not address certain topics due to the ongoing criminal probe.
“No, wait a second,” Issa interjected. “I heard your statement. I only want an answer to your question in the 11 seconds left. Are you going to recant, yes or no? And if you’re not going to, please don’t tell me it’s because now you’re under charges.”
“Your organization did it as much as 16 years ago. Will you take back any part of that?” the California lawmaker continued.
Fair replied, “The SPLC will continue to expose hate and extremism.”
The nonprofit head also defended Turning Point’s “hate map” designation when questioned by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
“It is our position that TPUSA expresses views and vilifies other people based on immutable characteristics, exposing them to our listing,” Fair told Roy.
Roy said he would introduce legislation to revoke the law center’s tax-exempt status following the exchange.
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Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet slammed Fair’s remarks in a post on social media. “Badge of honor,” Kolvet wrote in a statement following the exchange. “Screw the SPLC.”
The hearing came after the Justice Department filed an 11-count indictment against the law center in April over allegedly defrauding its donors by concealing payments to informants within extremist organizations while publicly professing to combat racism.
Fair has denied any wrongdoing and has argued the DOJ charges are politically motivated.
He also dismissed GOP criticisms that the organization has unfairly labeled conservative groups as extremist while ignoring left-wing groups that espouse antisemitism.
Fair struggled to answer Tuesday when asked by Roy if the law center has labeled any anti-Israel or Islamist groups as extremist.
“Some say we’ve lost our way,” Fair told lawmakers. “That’s false. We’ve never lost our North Star: a fair and just society for every person. All our programs advance that mission.”
Democrats largely defended the law center during the contentious hearing.
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“The SPLC is an enduring institutional beacon of hope for millions of people seeking to create a more perfect union,” House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said in his opening statement. “The Trump administration is thus naturally trying to tear it down.”
Fox News Digital reached out to TPUSA for comment.
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