SPLC chair Bryan Fair GRILLED in Congress over targeting TPUSA and Christians while running cover for Antifa

The interim CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was grilled by members of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday over the organization’s targeting of Christians and conservatives but not violent left-wing groups, coming as the group is facing an indictment from the Department of Justice on fraud charges. 

Rep Tom McClintock pressed fair over the SPLC’s targeting of conservative and Christian groups while not going after far-left groups that have undertaken violent actions. "Explain to me the reasoning behind targeting groups like Turning Point USA, the Family Research Council, traditional Catholic groups as hate groups, but not groups like Antifa, Jane’s Revenge, Youth Liberation Front."

"We list groups that demonize or vilify people based on immutable characteristics or that express anti-government conspiracy theories," replied interim CEO Bryan Fair. McClintock replied, "Do you believe Antifa and Jane’s Revenge and Youth Liberation Front have committed violent acts?"

"Congressman McClintock, it’s my understanding that the FBI has said Antifa is an ideology, not a group. So a group — if it’s not a group, it wouldn’t be identified on our list," Fair said. 

Former FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed in 2020 that Antifa is "not a group or an organization. It's a movement, or an ideology may be one way of thinking of it." The Trump administration, however, has designated Antifa as both a foreign terrorist organization and a domestic terrorist organization. 

Fair was also asked about the killing of Charlie Kirk, and whether the SPLC has taken any position to condemn it. Rep Chip Roy said, "with respect to Charlie Kirk, have you all taken any position since Charlie Kirk?" Fair said, "We unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk." 

Roy asked about the group’s listing of Kirk, to which Fair said, "it is our position that TPUSA expresses views and vilifies other people based on immutable characteristics, exposing them to our listing." 

Fair's testimony in Congress comes on the heels of the SPLC being indicted on 11 counts that include six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a federally insured bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. A superceding indictment handed down in June accuses the group of funding "field sources" in extremist groups such as the KKK, including funding the purchase of materials for making KKK robes and hoods, cross burnings, creating chapters of extremist groups, hosting rallies, and more.