FBI Director Grilled After Release of New Report on Targeting of Catholics
In a tense exchange during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Senator Josh Hawley confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray regarding the agency’s controversial investigation into traditional Catholics. The hearing took place in response to the release of a new report that suggests the FBI’s involvement in targeting Catholics may be more extensive than previously acknowledged. The report, conducted by the House Judiciary Committee, focused on a leaked internal FBI memo that discussed treating Catholics as potential domestic terrorists.
During the hearing, Senator Hawley pointed out that FBI agents had approached a priest and a choir director, pressuring them to gather information on their parishioners. This revelation shocked the committee and intensified the already heated exchange between Hawley and Wray. This is one of the most outrageous targetings, Hawley exclaimed. You have mobilized your division against traditionalist Catholics, and you claim that not a single person has been fired. How can that be?
Wray countered Hawley’s assertions, stating that he was conflating two separate issues: the controversial memo, which the Richmond FBI office has since rescinded, and a separate investigation into an individual who was stockpiling molotov cocktails and making threats. According to Wray, employees involved in the memo have faced admonishment, and their salaries may be affected as a result. He also reiterated that the FBI does not and will not conduct investigations based on religious expression.
However, the new report suggests that the FBI’s involvement in targeting traditionalist Catholics goes beyond the initial memo. The report indicates that the memo was circulated throughout various FBI field offices and highlights the possibility that the agency may still be pursuing the alleged connection between radical traditionalist Catholics and the far-right white nationalist movement. Furthermore, the report reveals that the FBI interviewed a priest and a choir director associated with the Society of St. Pius X in late 2022, which aligns with the timeline of the memo’s drafting.
Despite Wray’s disavowal of the memo, the report suggests that the FBI may still be attempting to incorporate information from the memo into an external document. The committee’s private interview with Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador disclosed ongoing discussions about a broader document addressing the supposed connection between traditionalist Catholics and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.
The report also highlights the FBI’s resistance to transparency and accountability. The Richmond office has yet to issue a public apology or take disciplinary action against employees involved in the memo’s creation. The committee argues that the FBI must take decisive action to rebuild public trust and ensure that the incident is not indicative of a broader pattern within the agency.
The FBI has vehemently denied targeting Catholics, emphasizing that the interviews with the priest and choir director were related to an investigation into an individual who made threats and has since been arrested. According to the FBI, the interviews were not conducted to gather information about parishioners’ religious practices.
As the fallout from this report continues, the FBI faces mounting pressure to address the concerns raised by lawmakers and regain the public’s trust. Critics argue that the targeting of any religious group based on their faith is a violation of their constitutional rights and undermines the principles of religious freedom at the core of American society. The FBI’s actions, as detailed in the report, have sparked a national conversation about the balance between national security and civil liberties, particularly regarding religious minorities.
The Catholic community and advocates for religious freedom are closely monitoring the situation and demanding accountability from the FBI. It remains to be seen how the agency will address the findings of the report and take steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In the meantime, the controversy surrounding the FBI’s targeting of traditionalist Catholics has raised concerns about the potential infringement on religious freedom and the need for greater transparency within law enforcement agencies. As the fallout from this report continues, it is clear that further scrutiny and oversight of the FBI’s practices will be necessary to ensure the protection of fundamental rights and liberties for all Americans.
