FBI Field Offices Accused of Drafting Anti-Catholic Memo, House Judiciary Investigates
Multiple FBI field offices, including those in Richmond, Portland, and Los Angeles, were involved in producing a memo that targeted traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists, according to the House Judiciary Committee. This revelation contradicts FBI Director Christopher Wray’s recent testimony, where he claimed the bureau’s actions were limited to a single field office. The committee has been seeking information related to the FBI’s Jan. 23 document, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” On July 25, the FBI provided a less redacted version of the document. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Chairman Mike Johnson informed Wray of their discovery in a letter, questioning why the information was redacted in previous versions of the document. The lawmakers are demanding all FBI material related to the subpoena, including the production of the Richmond document without redactions. The FBI has been under scrutiny for its assessment of traditional Catholics, with the Judiciary Committee issuing a subpoena in April after failed voluntary compliance and threatening contempt proceedings in July. The document was leaked by a federal whistleblower in February.
