REVEALED: FBI Targeting Of Catholics Runs Deeper Than Initially Thought

A new report by Judicial Watch has shown that FBI targeting of “radical-traditionalist Catholics” was not isolated to “a single field office,” but rather was reviewed and approved at a high level within the agency.

As a refresher, earlier this year in February an FBI intelligence document from the Richmond, VA field office was leaked to the press that attempted to justify the targeting of Americans with “Radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology” as “opportunities for threat mitigation,” by Counterterrorism Division agents.

As reported by Judicial Watch, a 98 page report of heavily redacted documents established that the Bureau’s Office of General Counsel reviewed the targeting of Catholics by the field office and that these efforts were coordinated with officials from Portland and Milwaukee.

The original document, entitled, “Domain Perspective – Threat Target/Facilitation Platform, FBI Richmond,” contains a section labeled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.”

HUGE: Top FBI Lawyers "Reviewed" Controversial FBI Targeting of Catholics https://t.co/khxrqvSzgC https://t.co/eTiZr3puwn

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) December 15, 2023

In the executive summary, it states,

“FBI Richmond assesses the increasingly observed interest of RMVEs [Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists] in RTC [Radical-Traditionalist Catholic] ideology almost certainly presents new opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development. This assessment is based on [redacted]”

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-TX) reacted to the release Sunday posting to X, “Sound familiar? Judicial Watch: “Contrary to statements under oath by FBI Director Wray, official documents proved that the FBI was targeting Catholics as “violent extremists” and the undercover operation was widespread.” Wake up America.”

Sound familiar?

Judicial Watch: “Contrary to statements under oath by FBI Director Wray, official documents proved that the FBI was targeting Catholics as “violent extremists” and the undercover operation was widespread.”

Wake up America.

— Rep. Clay Higgins (@RepClayHiggins) December 17, 2023

“These documents disprove the FBI’s narrative that the spy operation against Catholics and churches was limited to one field office. In fact, the operation seems to have been approved by top lawyers in the FBI,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in the report.

“These documents should trigger a criminal inquiry into this Biden FBI scandal.” 

As reported by The Western Journal, the version of this document turned over to the House Judiciary Committee in August stated troublingly that racially motivated violent extremists have “a persistent Catholic-oriented base with which to interact.”

The FBI authors added, “Ultimately, there may be limits to the level of engagement between RTCs and other far-right white nationalists.”

“For example, many RTCs consider other forms of Christianity to be heretical and an over-emphasis on white US nationalism may be off-putting to RTCs of different ethnicities and countries of origin. Conversely, deep-seated anti-Catholicism remains a characteristic of many far-right white nationalists.” 

The document, citing the dubious publications of the Southern Poverty Law Center listed nine so-called RTCs as “hate groups.”

• Catholic Apologetics International (Greencastle, PA)
• Catholic Family News/Catholic Family Ministries, Inc. (Niagara Falls, NY)
• Christ or Chaos (Corsicana, TX)
• Culture Wars/Fidelity Press (South Bend, IN)
• The Fatima Crusader/International Fatima Rosary Crusade (Buffalo, NY)
• In the Spirit of Chartres Committee of (Glenelg, MD)
• The Remnant/The Remnant Press (Forest Lake, MN)
• Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Richmond, NH)
• Tradition in Action (Los Angeles, CA)

Former Republican Congressman Tim Huelskamp, Senior Advisor to CatholicVote told Western Journal, “Contrary to statements under oath by Director Wray and Attorney General Garland, this flagrantly anti-Catholic program by the FBI was widespread, fully supported by senior officials, authorized undercover agents to infiltrate Catholic parishes, attempted to influence elections, and may be ongoing. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has stood idly by as Catholic churches have been attacked more than 200 times since May of 2022.”