In a striking development, FBI Director Kash Patel has cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), ending the agency’s longstanding training and intelligence-sharing relationship over claims of surveillance on conservative groups, as Just the News reports.

This decision, revealed on Wednesday through a social media post, follows mounting criticism from Donald Trump’s allies and comes in the wake of conservative figure Charlie Kirk’s recent killing, casting doubt on the FBI’s prior use of ADL data on extremism.

The FBI’s collaboration with the ADL has been in place for years, during which the organization supplied hundreds of tips each year on extremist activities to law enforcement nationwide.

Patel’s decisions upends longstanding ties

Under former FBI Director James Comey, this partnership was often highlighted as a model, with Comey requiring new agents and trainees at Quantico to attend the ADL’s “Law Enforcement and Society” workshop as noted in a 2014 speech.

The workshop aimed to teach officials about the Holocaust’s historical significance and its relevance to current policing practices, alongside other sessions on hate crimes and violent extremism.

In that 2014 address, Comey expressed high regard for the ADL, saying, “If this sounds a bit like a love letter to the ADL, it is, and rightly so.”

Claims of spying ignite fierce debate

However, Patel has taken a sharply different stance, publicly denouncing the past relationship in a statement shared on social media this Wednesday.

On X, he wrote, “James Comey wrote ‘love letters’ to the ADL and embedded FBI agents with them - a group that ran disgraceful ops spying on Americans.”

He further stated, “That era is OVER. This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.”

Trump supporters target ADL’s role

The end of this partnership aligns with growing criticism of the ADL from allies of President Donald Trump, particularly after the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist.

Earlier this year, the ADL’s website had characterized Kirk’s group, Turning Point USA, as tied to certain ideological movements and far-right elements, though that information has since been removed.

Elon Musk, a prominent voice in conservative circles, commented on X, saying, “The FBI was taking their ‘hate group’ definitions from ADL, which is why FBI was investigating Charlie Kirk & Turning Point, instead of his murderers.”

ADL stands firm amid controversy

In response to the severed relationship, the ADL issued a statement reaffirming its mission and commitment to supporting law enforcement across the nation.

The organization noted, “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.”

This development marks a significant shift in FBI policy under Patel’s leadership, leaving questions about how the agency will address extremism data and training moving forward.