EXPOSED: FBI's War on Catholics Reached 1000+ Agents, Wray Misled Congress

Paul Riverbank, 6/4/2025FBI memo targeting Catholics reached 1000+ agents, contradicting Director Wray's congressional testimony.

Remember when FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress this was just "a single product by a single field office"? Well, that's not exactly how things played out. The memo actually reached over 1,000 FBI employees across the country. And here's the kicker - it wasn't just one memo, but a whole series of documents pushing this problematic narrative about traditional Catholics.

I've seen my share of FBI controversies, but this one hits differently. Multiple field offices - Louisville, Portland, Milwaukee - weren't just passive recipients; they actively helped craft this document. The Buffalo office even started looking into Catholic groups based on Southern Poverty Law Center designations, which, if you know anything about the SPLC's complicated history, should raise some eyebrows.

What really gets me is the attempted cover-up. Someone at the bureau apparently tried to scrub records showing who had accessed these memos. In my 20-plus years covering federal law enforcement, that's usually when alarm bells start ringing.

The Richmond office didn't back down either - they drafted a second memo doubling down on these unfounded connections between traditional Catholicism and extremism. Though public outcry stopped its release, its very existence contradicts Wray's congressional testimony.

Look, I've sat through enough oversight hearings to know when something's off. Sen. Grassley's letter to current FBI Director Kash Patel doesn't just highlight misleading testimony - it exposes a troubling culture within the bureau that somehow greenlit this whole operation.

Let's be clear about what's at stake here. This isn't just about bureaucratic mishaps or poor judgment. We're talking about one of America's most powerful law enforcement agencies potentially targeting people based on their religious beliefs. That's not some minor procedural error - it's a fundamental threat to religious liberty.

The bureau's got some serious explaining to do. And from where I'm sitting, this story's got legs. We'll be unpacking the implications of this for months to come.

The FBI's controversial memo on "radical traditionalist Catholics" has blown up into something far more troubling than we initially thought. I've spent the past decade covering the bureau, and this latest revelation from Senator Grassley's office is genuinely startling.Remember when FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress this was just "a single product by a single field office"? Well, that's not exactly how things played out. The memo actually reached over 1,000 FBI employees across the country. And here's the kicker - it wasn't just one memo, but a whole series of documents pushing this problematic narrative about traditional Catholics.I've seen my share of FBI controversies, but this one hits differently. Multiple field offices - Louisville, Portland, Milwaukee - weren't just passive recipients; they actively helped craft this document. The Buffalo office even started looking into Catholic groups based on Southern Poverty Law Center designations, which, if you know anything about the SPLC's complicated history, should raise some eyebrows.What really gets me is the attempted cover-up. Someone at the bureau apparently tried to scrub records showing who had accessed these memos. In my 20-plus years covering federal law enforcement, that's usually when alarm bells start ringing.The Richmond office didn't back down either - they drafted a second memo doubling down on these unfounded connections between traditional Catholicism and extremism. Though public outcry stopped its release, its very existence contradicts Wray's congressional testimony.Look, I've sat through enough oversight hearings to know when something's off. Sen. Grassley's letter to current FBI Director Kash Patel doesn't just highlight misleading testimony - it exposes a troubling culture within the bureau that somehow greenlit this whole operation.Let's be clear about what's at stake here. This isn't just about bureaucratic mishaps or poor judgment. We're talking about one of America's most powerful law enforcement agencies potentially targeting people based on their religious beliefs. That's not some minor procedural error - it's a fundamental threat to religious liberty.The bureau's got some serious explaining to do. And from where I'm sitting, this story's got legs. We'll be unpacking the implications of this for months to come.