‘This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs,’ Patel wrote on social media.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Oct. 1 that the bureau has severed ties with the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization that tracks anti-Semitism, after conservatives criticized the group for including Turning Point USA in a glossary on extremism.
Patel also cited in his decision the ADL’s past partnership with former FBI Director James Comey, who was recently indicted.
“That era is OVER. This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs,” Patel wrote on social media.
The ADL published a statement on its website in response to Patel.
“ADL has deep respect for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and law enforcement officers at all levels across the country who work tirelessly every single day to protect all Americans regardless of their ancestry, religion, ethnicity, faith, political affiliation or any other point of difference,” the group wrote.
“In light of an unprecedented surge of antisemitism, we remain more committed than ever to our core purpose to protect the Jewish people.”
In his statement, Patel accused Comey of writing “love letters” to the ADL and embedding FBI agents in its ranks. Patel was referring to a speech Comey gave at the 2017 ADL summit, where he remembered first meeting the organization at a previous event in 2014.
“I sang your praises as an organization that fights for inclusivity and diversity, equality, and justice. An organization that works with us to fight hate crime and terrorism, to educate law enforcement, and to build bridges with underrepresented communities,” Comey said. “I labeled that last speech a love letter to the ADL. Three years later, I can say, from the perspective of the FBI, we’re still in love with you.”
A representative for Comey did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Critics of ADL
Elon Musk said the ADL is a “far left hate propaganda machine” on Sunday, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) pointed out the following day that the organization had included assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA group in a “Glossary of Extremism and Hate” on its website.
“The @ADL has some explaining to do. Seems to me like if they don’t agree with you, they will label you a ‘hate group,’” Luna wrote on social media.
The ADL webpage on Turning Point USA that Luna referred to has been deleted, and the link to the ADL’s previous “Glossary of Extremism and Hate” now redirects to the organization’s “Global A.T.L.A.S.—Mapping an Urgent Antisemitism Problem” webpage.
The ADL addressed changing the webpage in a Tuesday social media post, saying its “Glossary of Extremism” with more than 1,000 entries had served as a “source of high-level information on a wide range of topics for years.”
“At the same time, an increasing number of entries in the Glossary were outdated. We also saw a number of entries intentionally misrepresented and misused,” the group wrote. “Moreover, our experts have continued to develop more comprehensive resources and innovative ways to provide information about antisemitism, extremism, and hate.”
The ADL said it was retiring the glossary “immediately” so that it can “explore new strategies and creative approaches to deliver our data and present our research more effectively.”
Founded in 1913, the ADL’s website stated that the group is the “leading anti-hate organization in the world” that is dedicated to stopping the “defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”
“A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.”
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