The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual report Tuesday identifying 1,263 hate and anti-government groups operating in the United States, as the organization simultaneously faced congressional questioning about its methodology for categorizing groups.

The report's release comes as the SPLC is under federal investigation, with the organization facing fraud charges from the U.S. government. The civil rights organization has maintained that hard-right groups have expanded their influence across government institutions.

During a congressional hearing Tuesday, SPLC head Bryan Fair defended the organization's decision to include Turning Point USA, led by Charlie Kirk, on its hate map alongside white supremacist groups. The placement has drawn criticism from conservative lawmakers and organizations who dispute the classification.

The hearing highlighted ongoing tensions over how hate groups are defined and tracked. Critics have questioned the SPLC's methodology for categorizing organizations, while the group maintains its classifications are based on established criteria for identifying extremist activities.

The SPLC has been a prominent voice in tracking hate groups for decades, though its methods and classifications have faced increasing scrutiny in recent years from various political quarters. The organization's annual reports are widely cited by researchers, law enforcement, and policymakers studying domestic extremism trends.