The FBI Conducts Domestic Violent Extremism Investigations on TradCaths: House Report.

FBI Labels Traditional Catholics as violent extremists and proposes the FBI infiltrate Catholic churches as a form of "threat mitigation."

“Trad Cath”: Traditionalist Catholicism is a movement encompassing members of the Catholic Church that emphasizes beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, liturgical forms, devotions and presentations of teaching associated with the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council (1962–65). It is very popular among young catholics, who believe in more traditional values.

New Report Details the Extent of the FBI's Weaponization of Law Enforcement Against Traditional Catholics

December 4, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released an interim staff report titled, "The FBI's Breach of Religious Freedom: The Weaponization of Law Enforcement Against Catholic Americans."

The Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government have been investigating the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) categorization of certain Catholic Americans as potential domestic terrorists. While the FBI claims it "does not categorize investigations as domestic terrorism based on the religious beliefs—to include Catholicism—of the subject involved," an FBI-wide memorandum originating from the FBI's Richmond Field Office did just that. Under the guise of tackling the threat of domestic terrorism, the memorandum painted so-called certain "radical-traditionalist Catholics" (RTCs) as violent extremists and proposed opportunities for the FBI to infiltrate Catholic churches as a form of "threat mitigation." The FBI’s Richmond memorandum is a startling reminder that Americans' civil liberties and core Constitutional rights must be vigorously guarded against government overreach, including in this case from an overzealous federal law enforcement agency.

In February 2023, the Committee began its oversight after whistleblower Kyle Seraphin revealed the existence of the Richmond memorandum in internal FBI systems. In April 2023, after the FBI failed to fully cooperate with the oversight, Chairman Jordan issued a subpoena to Director Christopher Wray, requesting documents related to the memorandum.  The Committee and Select Subcommittee's oversight shows that the FBI abused its counterterrorism tools to target Catholic Americans as potential domestic terrorists. The Committee and Select Subcommittee discovered that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to develop its assessment and the FBI even proposed developing sources among the Catholic clergy and church leadership. Not only did the FBI propose to develop sources, but it already interviewed a priest and choir director affiliated with a Catholic church in Richmond, Virginia for the memorandum. Most concerning of all, without the disclosure of the whistleblower, the Richmond memorandum would still be operative in FBI systems, violating the religious liberties of millions of Catholic Americans.

From witness testimony and FBI internal documents, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have learned that there were errors at every step of the drafting, review, approval, and removal process of the memorandum. For example: 

• The documents received pursuant to the Committee's subpoena show there was no legitimate basis for the memorandum to insert federal law enforcement into Catholic houses of worship.
   

• The basis for the Richmond memorandum relied on a single investigation in the Richmond Field Office's area of responsibility in which the subject "self-described" as a "radical-traditionalist Catholic" (RTC). However, FBI employees could not define the meaning of an RTC when preparing, editing, or reviewing the memorandum. Even so, this single investigation became the basis for an FBI-wide memorandum warning about the dangers of "radical" Catholics. 
   

• Whistleblower disclosures reveal that the FBI interviewed a priest and choir director affiliated with a Catholic church in Richmond, Virginia while preparing the memorandum to inform on the parishioner under investigation.
   

• In addition to the investigation in Virginia, FBI Richmond relied on reporting from other field offices across the country, including FBI Los Angeles, FBI Milwaukee, and FBI Portland in making its assessment.
   

• The two FBI employees who co-authored the memorandum later told FBI internal investigators that they knew the sources cited in the memorandum had a political bias—sources including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Salon, and The Atlantic.
   

• The documents received pursuant to the Committee's subpoena show that the FBI singled out Americans who are pro-life, pro-family, and support the biological basis for sex and gender distinction as potential domestic terrorists. The memorandum recognized "the run-up to the next general election cycle" as a key time frame and cited the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade as a flash point. 
   

• Without considerable criticism in the wake of the disclosure of the memorandum, the document would have remained in an FBI-wide system. At the time of the memorandum's disclosure, FBI officials were discussing turning the memorandum into an external, public-facing document highlighting the threats of "radical" Catholics. Most concerning, FBI Richmond still desires to convey this information to other field offices about "radical-traditionalist Catholics." 
   

• FBI Richmond's senior leadership saw the memorandum as an opportunity to insert federal law enforcement into places of worship and support outreach efforts to the Diocese of Richmond and other Catholic parishes.
   

• Following public criticism about the memorandum, FBI Richmond's Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador met with members of the clergy, including the Most Reverend Barry Knestout, Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond, and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church to mend the FBI's relationship with the Catholic community.
   

• Whistleblower disclosures to the Committee further reveal that the memorandum was accessible to other field offices across the country. However, the FBI still has no idea how many FBI employees accessed the memorandum before its removal and cannot confirm whether any outreach occurred to Catholic parishes as a result of the memorandum.

The Committee on the Judiciary, through and with its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, is charged with investigating "violations of the civil liberties of citizens of the United States." This interim staff report fulfills the ongoing obligation to identify and report on instances of the weaponization of the federal government— here, the FBI's mishandling of domestic violent extremism investigations against Catholic Americans exercising their First Amendment rights. While the documents and information received to date help to better understand what transpired, they do not tell the whole story. The Committee and the Select Subcommittee will continue to pursue the relevant facts to inform legislative reforms and to protect American civil liberties from government overreach.

Read the full interim staff report here.

Personally, I find the FBI going after tradcaths and conducting “ domestic violent extremism investigations against Catholic Americans exercising their First Amendment rights” so abhorrent, I can barely write about it without my blood boiling. Thank goodness for Rep. Jim Jordan conducting an investigation on this shocking display of corruption and raw power by the administrative state.

The fact that the FBI is stonewalling this House Committee and will not answer how many FBI employees accessed critical documents before their removal and cannot (will not?) confirm whether any outreach occurred to Catholic parishes as a result of the memorandum. That fact that this is not headline news is also pretty shocking.

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