12/07/2023 United States (International Christian Concern) — The U.S. House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government published a report this week highlighting its growing concerns with the weaponization of the FBI against Catholic Americans.  

After an FBI memorandum – originating from the Richmond Field Office – was leaked earlier this year categorizing certain Catholics as potential domestic terrorists, the committee has been investigating the agency’s violations of Catholic Americans’ civil liberties. 

The committee’s latest report provides an update to its investigation, providing new, concerning insights into the FBI’s targeting of Catholics with “pro-life” and “pro-family” Christian values. 

The memo was first brought to the committee’s attention in February 2023 after a whistleblower revealed the document’s existence. When the agency failed to cooperate with the committee’s oversight, FBI Director Christopher Way was subpoenaed to reveal documents connected to the memorandum. In the documents, the committee found that certain traditional Catholics were painted as “violent extremists” and that the field office proposed opportunities for the FBI to “infiltrate Catholic churches as a form of threat mitigation.” 

Initially, Director Way claimed that the memo was a “misguided product of a single field office” and denied the agency’s categorization of investigations into domestic terrorism based on one’s religious beliefs. However, the committee’s latest report proves otherwise, showing that the Richmond Field Office coordinated with the Milwaukee office (and the Los Angeles and Portland offices, which had previously been discovered) to draft the memo. 

Of most concern to the committee’s findings is that without the brave testimony of the whistleblower, the memo would still be in the FBI’s internal system, targeting American Christians with traditional values simply because of their faith. 

The congressional report states, “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 law enforcement agency.“ 

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