Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray admitted that no one has been fired for a leaked memo from the FBI Richmond Field Office in targeting “radical- traditionalist Catholics.”
In February, a now-retracted leaked memo titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities,” showed the bureau was targeting Catholics, and had used information from the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center to guide the crafting of the memo. As Breitbart News reported, the memo showed the Richmond office had found that violent extremists’ “interest” in “radical-traditionalist Catholic” ideology was growing and that it therefore presented an opportunity for the FBI to engage with certain churches in an attempt to goad the churches’ leadership into serving as FBI “tripwires,” who would operate like unofficial informants to the FBI.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – APRIL 7: Worshippers pray at a service for Pope John Paul II on April, 7, 2005 at a Catholic church in Baghdad, Iraq. Pope John Paul II died at his residence in the Vatican on April 2, aged 84 years old. His funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Friday, April 8. Cardinals under the age of 80 will start the conclave on April 18, where a new Pope will be chosen. (Photo by Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images)
The FBI also allegedly interviewed a priest and a church choir director as part of its investigation into a “self-described” “radical-traditionalist Catholic” — an example case which was used in the Richmond memo about traditional Catholics, according to a new House Weaponization Committee report. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) revealed in August that multiple FBI field offices were allegedly involved in crafting the memo, despite Wray’s testimony that it was a “product from a single field office.”
Wray said during an exchange with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) during an FBI Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday that employees involved in the creation of the memo have been “admonished” but not fired.
“Have you fired anybody involved in it?” Hawley asked.
“Senator, if you would give me a chance to answer—” Wray began.
Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Wray is testifying before the committee amid calls by some hardline conservatives for his ouster. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“That’s a yes or a no, it’s not hard. Have you fired anybody involved in the writing of that outrageous memo? Because frankly, you’ve repeatedly misled the public. Yes or no?” Hawley pressed.
Wray and Hawley went back and forth several more times before Wray replied, claiming that “a number of the individuals involved in writing that product in the Richmond office were themselves Catholic, so, the notion that they were targeting their own faith —”
“Oh, I see. Oh! So it’s a ‘get out of jail free card!’ I see! So, you’re immune and they’re immune. So, we shouldn’t ask questions about it. You haven’t done a darn thing. You haven’t fired anybody,” Hawley replied.
“In fact, what the House found is…you admonished them. They were admonished and their respective supervisors were told to engage with the Human Resources division to ensure the deficiencies are addressed. Oh, well I feel much better. They’ve been sent to bed without food,” Hawley said sarcastically. “Good heavens director, this is one of the most outrageous targetings.”
He continued:
You have mobilized your division — the most powerful law enforcement division in the world — against traditionalist Catholics, whatever the heck that means. And you just told us you have not fired a single person. I mean, here it gets worse. Your Richmond Field office. They thought there was nothing wrong with this. The House interviewed the head of the Richmond Field office….He testified [that] he saw no problem with this. He said he thought it was fine. In fact, we have internal memoranda of the members of the field office high-fiving. One peer reviewer, another member of the field office wrote, ‘I think this is a great product. I really enjoyed the read.’ Do you have a problem with systemic bigotry against Catholics in the FBI?
Wray replied with a “no,” to which Hawley again pressed whether anyone involved with the memo will be fired.
“Those individuals have all been admonished and it is going into their — let me finish my answer. It is all going into their performance reviews and has a direct impact on their compensation, among other things,” Wray replied.
“Oh, I see. So the 60 million American Catholics who now learn that your FBI has recommended that priests be recruiters and informants, your FBI has gone to priests and choir directors, but we’re to feel better because you’ve admonished them for their wrongdoing?” Hawley said.
“You, again, are conflating two different things. We are –” Wray began.
“I’m taking your testimony where you said you do not — categorically you said, ‘We do not go to priests and ask them about their parishioners” You ‘do not.’ You didn’t say, ‘We haven’t,’ you didn’t say ‘We won’t.’ You said ‘We don’t.’ It turns out you do,” Hawley said. “And you kept it from the public, you deliberately misled Congress about it, and the only reason we know about it is because a whistleblower came forward.”
Wray replied, saying he “fundamentally disgree[s]” with Hawley’s “characterization.”
“There’s no characterization, the facts are the facts. And I fundamentally resent the fact that you have violated, if not the letter of, certainly the spirit of the First Amendment, and used your law enforcement agency against Catholics in this nation,” Hawley said.
