Jim Jordan requests records related to Biden DOJ's ties to liberal nonprofit SPLC

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, requesting documents and communications between the Biden administration's Justice Department and the liberal nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center. 

The request comes after documents from America First Legal revealed last month that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division allegedly partnered with the SPLC, including allowing SPLC employees to train its federal prosecutors. The SPLC also allegedly held regular meetings with the department.

“The committee is continuing to investigate the Biden-Harris Department of Justice’s and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s weaponization of federal law-enforcement resources against conservative Americans,” Jordan wrote in a letter shared with the Daily Signal. “The extent of the SPLC’s influence over our nation’s federal law enforcement during the Biden-Harris administration is deeply concerning, and we respectfully request additional information on this matter."

The government, including the FBI, previously used the SPLC as a source for defining and tracking extremist groups, and the SPLC has garnered a reputation for criticizing conservative groups in recent years.

The center was also involved in a 2022 scandal involving the Richmond Field Office and a memo suggesting that traditional Catholics could be potential extremists.

Jordan said the fact that the previous administration allegedly had a close relationship with the nonprofit was "more evidence of the Biden-Harris administration’s weaponization of the federal government against certain Americans.”

“The SPLC routinely maligns conservative and religious organizations, such as Turning Point USA, Family Research Council, and Moms for Liberty, as ‘hate’ groups simply because the SPLC disagrees with their views,” Jordan added.

The SPLC condemned the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September but kept Turning Point labeled as a hate group.

Jordan requested all communication between the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the SPLC between Jan. 20, 2021 and Jan. 20, 2025, including all documents and communications relating to meetings or trainings involving the SPLC and the division; and all documents relating to the department's use of SPLC material.

The letter asks Bondi to send the documents by Dec. 9.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.