In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) revealed that the FBI used an undercover informant to spy on Catholic groups. He found this out from a leaked FBI report on domestic extremism among Catholic Americans.
According to CBS News, the House Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to Wray on Monday, asking for data connected to its inquiry into the FBI’s “domestic violent extremism investigations against Catholic Americans.” The probe was launched in response to the January 23 release of an FBI Richmond Field Office letter alleging that Roman Catholic groups who prefer the Latin mass are vulnerable to “anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and white supremacist ideology.”
Jordan stated that additional information and papers were requested on February 16 and March 20. The FBI provided a “substandard and partial” 18-page response on March 23, revealing that the FBI relied on “at least one undercover agent” while creating the Jan. 23 paper.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELI specifically asked Merrick Garland whether the FBI was targeting Catholic parishes and he said no. Now it turns out the FBI was using undercover sources in multiple parishes https://t.co/NZMkIXEN47
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 10, 2023
The letter reads, “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.”
According to the letter, the FBI wanted “to sensitize the congregation to the warning signs of radicalization and enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.”
The Committee’s demand for “all FBI material responsive” to its request, without redactions, was bolstered by this revelation, according to the letter.
Wray’s claimed “disregard” for the Committee’s voluntary requests prompted the subpoena.
The FBI said in a statement, “The FBI recognizes the importance of congressional oversight and remains fully committed to cooperating with Congress’s oversight requests consistent with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.” They added, “The FBI is actively working to respond to congressional information requests, including voluntary document production.”
In other words, don’t expect anything anytime soon.
Wray informed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on March 8 that the FBI took action to remove the material from its systems, noting that the Agency “will not target people for religious beliefs” and does not “monitor people’s religious practices.”
During a March 1 hearing, Attorney General Merrick Garland labeled the letter “appalling” and assured Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley that the FBI “does not do investigations based on religion.”
He also indicated that he did not believe “any informants aimed at Catholic churches” existed.
