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.ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE RETIRES GLOSSARY OF EXTREMIST GROUPS AFTER BACKLASH FOR INCLUDING CHARLIE KIRK'S TPUSASouthern Poverty Law Center interim CEO Bryan Fair defended the left-wing organization's designation of Turning Point USA as an extremist organization.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Elizabeth Frantz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)"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" de...