Overview
- The Dec. 16 hearing, titled “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Influence on Federal Civil Rights Policy,” featured witnesses from Turning Point USA, the Family Research Council, The Daily Signal, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.
- Republican members argued the SPLC’s designations drive deplatforming and policy sway, highlighting claims about the group’s finances including assets of more than $829 million and a substantial endowment.
- Turning Point USA’s Andrew Sypher testified that the SPLC’s “hate map” put the group “in the crosshairs,” citing the September assassination of founder Charlie Kirk as part of their safety concerns.
- Democrats defended the SPLC’s role tracking organized hate and criticized Republicans for focusing on its resources and collaborations rather than confronting violent extremism.
- Chairman Jim Jordan previously sought Justice Department communications with the SPLC, lawmakers cited a withdrawn 2022 FBI Richmond memo that used SPLC material, and Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon noted the SPLC was not invited to testify.