House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan announced on Monday that his panel has issued a subpoena to FBI Director Christopher Wray seeking information on one of the bureau’s field offices’ efforts to investigate “extremists” in Catholic parishes in the US.
Jordan’s investigation centers on a now-withdrawn Jan. 23 memo from the FBI’s Richmond, Va., Field Office titled, “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.”
The missive, which Jordan (R-Ohio) described as “chilling” in a tweet on Monday, discussed meeting with church leaders to review “the warning signs of radicalization and to enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.”
“The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of the [FBI’s] handling of domestic violent extremism investigations against Catholic Americans and its effect on protected First Amendment activity,” Jordan wrote in a letter to Wray on Monday.
“Based on the limited information produced by the FBI to the Committee, we now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis, and that the FBI proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith,” he added.
“This shocking information reinforces our need for all responsive documents, and the Committee is issuing a subpoena to you to compel your full cooperation,” Jordan wrote.
GOP lawmakers have accused the FBI of developing an anti-Catholic bias in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, which triggered threats aimed at churches and abortion clinics.
Wray has condemned the Richmond Field Office memo.
“When I first learned of the piece I was aghast, and we took steps immediately to withdraw it and remove it from FBI systems,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee in March.
“Based on the limited information produced by the FBI to the Committee, we now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis, and that the FBI proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith,” he added.
“This shocking information reinforces our need for all responsive documents, and the Committee is issuing a subpoena to you to compel your full cooperation,” Jordan wrote.
GOP lawmakers have accused the FBI of developing an anti-Catholic bias in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, which triggered threats aimed at churches and abortion clinics.
Wray has condemned the Richmond Field Office memo.
“When I first learned of the piece I was aghast, and we took steps immediately to withdraw it and remove it from FBI systems,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee in March.