FBI Memo Target Catholic Churches & Choirs: Dir Chris Wray Refuses To Answer Anyone Fired

On 12/5/2023, in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray on the FBI’s targeting of traditionalist Catholics. Senator Hawley discussed a report issued by the House Judiciary Committee revealing a memo outlining the weaponization of the FBI against Catholics, and repeatedly demanded that Director Wray hold accountable the individuals involved.

“Now we know that in fact, FBI agents did approach a priest and a choir director to ask them to inform on parishioners … Good heavens, Director, this is one of the most outrageous targetings – you have mobilized your division, the most powerful law enforcement division in the world, against traditionalist Catholics,” said Senator Hawley.

He continued, “your memo labels traditional Catholics as racially, and ethnically, motivated violent extremists in need of investigation … You have repeatedly said ‘we don’t target churches, we don’t list churches,‘they’re listed in the memo.”

Source

Senator Hawley has previously called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for answers on the FBI’s targeting and subsequent arrests of people of faith, particularly Catholics.

FBI Director Chris Wray Refuses To Answer Any Questions On FBI’s Targeting Of Catholic Americans

FBI Director Chris Wray Won’t Say If Anyone Was Fired Over Internal FBI Memo Targeting Catholics

Hawley Slams FBI Dir. Wray For Mobilizing Agency To Target Catholic Churches & Choirs

FBI Memo Target Catholic Churches & Choirs: Dir Chris Wray Refuses To Answer Anyone Fired

Key Points

On 12/5/2023, in the U

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) U
• ) questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray on the FBI’s targeting of traditionalist Catholics
• Senator Hawley discussed a report issued by the House Judiciary Committee revealing a memo outlining the weaponization of the FBI against Catholics, and repeatedly demanded that Director Wray hold accountable the individuals involved

Transcript Highlights

Transcribed from the video audio:

• How many other parishes have FBI agents approached priests and choir directors to ask about parishioners
• Look, Senator, we do not and will not conduct investigations based on anybody’s exercise of their constitutionally- You have done so, and your memo explicitly asks for it
• Your memo labels traditional Catholics as racially and ethnically motivated, violent extremists in need of investigation
• You have a list of churches, a list in the memo
• You’ve repeatedly said, we don’t target churches
• So how many other parishes have you gone to to talk to choir directors for heaven’s sake
• No, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I can tell you that we don’t investigate people for their exercise of their constitutionally-protected religious expression
• That particular intelligence product is something that as soon as I saw it, I was aghast
• Senator, if you will give me a chance to answer your question
• Have you fired anyone involved in the writing of that outrageous memo, about which frankly you’ve repeatedly misled the public