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DOJ report alleges minimal FBI action after Richmond Catholic memo
A new report from the Department of Justice’s Weaponization Working Group alleges that the FBI took minimal corrective action following the 2023 leak of a memo regarding 'radical traditionalist' Catholics in Richmond. While the personnel responsible for the document have been terminated, the report suggests that internal work on the memo continued even after it was officially withdrawn in February 2023.
Internal records indicate that FBI counterterrorism specialists had previously questioned the memo's conclusions and its reliance on outside sources. The report also details investigations into two priests associated with the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX). These investigations included physical surveillance and tracking of financial and travel movements, though the FBI ultimately closed the cases after finding no national security threats or federal violations.
Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel characterized the memo as a failure to uphold First Amendment responsibilities, stating that the department will not tolerate a 'weaponized bureaucracy' that chills religious activity.
Entities
Federal Bureau of Investigation · Kash Patel · Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X · Todd Blanche · U.S. Department of Justice
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Internal work on the memo continued via an analyst revising the document after it was publicly withdrawn in February 2023. 100percentfedup.com
- [DISPUTED] Personnel responsible for the Richmond memo have been terminated from their roles. catholicvirginian.org
- [DISPUTED] The FBI took minimal corrective action following the leak of the Richmond memo regarding traditionalist Catholics. catholicvirginian.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] FBI counterterrorism specialists questioned the connection between the religious community and violent extremism. 100percentfedup.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Investigations into the priests found no identified threat to national security and no federal violations. freerepublic.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A 2024 watchdog review found no evidence of religious bias by those who created the memo. catholicvirginian.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The FBI investigated two priests linked to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. freerepublic.com