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FBI cuts ties with Anti-Defamation League, FBI director says

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau "won't partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs."

FBI Director Kash Patel attends the signing of an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump on a deal that would divest TikTok's U.S. operations from ByteDance from its Chinese owner ByteDance, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 25, 2025. / REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The FBI said on Oct. 1 it had cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish group that tracks antisemitism, after Republicans criticized the group for including slain activist Charlie Kirk's organization in a glossary on extremism.

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau "won't partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs."

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The ADL did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear what sort of ties the FBI had with the ADL.

Patel's announcement followed criticism of the ADL by right-wing activists and leaders, including billionaire Elon Musk, over its inclusion of Kirk's Turning Point USA in a "Glossary of Extremism and Hate" on its website. Kirk was assassinated on a college campus in September.

After that criticism, the ADL removed the entire glossary from its website. The glossary had said that Turning Point USA had a history of "bigoted statements," a charge the group rejects.

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