The Department of Justice (DOJ) authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to report that an anti-Catholic memo shared Thursday had malicious intent, Fox News reported.
The Justice Department acknowledged the FBI’s intent to target Catholics in a report sent to members of Congress. according to On Fox News. Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz conducted a 120-day investigation at the behest of Congress and shared its findings in a letter.
According to Fox News, the investigation examined internal memos from the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, office suggesting that radical traditionalist Catholic ideology may present new opportunities to de-escalate extremism. It is said that The memo was leaked in January 2023 and was widely criticized, especially by Republican lawmakers who called for an explanation from authorities. The investigation said investigators improperly linked individuals’ religious beliefs to suspected domestic terrorist activity.
Source of anti-Catholic FBI memo revealed; bureau absolved of ‘malice’ https://t.co/oaK4V4erU7
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The memo focused on a person referred to in the inspector general’s report as “Defendant A,” later identified as Xavier Lopez, who was arrested and indicted on federal weapons charges, the newspaper said. The FBI had been monitoring Lopez since 2019 for expressing extremist views on social media, including neo-Nazi comments. He was arrested in November 2022 after law enforcement found Molotov cocktails and illegal firearms in his apartment.
” [FBI Inspection Division] The report said there was no evidence of malice or improper purpose; [memo] It does not adhere to standards of analytical craft and there is no sufficient evidence or clear substantiation of the relationship between RMVE (racially motivated violent extremism) and so-called RTC (radical traditional Catholicism) ideology. “These findings revealed errors in professional judgment, including omissions,” the inspector general said. he said, according to Fox News.
The FBI emblem is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on July 5, 2016. – The FBI said Tuesday it is not recommending charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server as secretary of state, but said she was “treated extremely badly.” She was “careless” in handling top secret data. The decision not to recommend charges will come as a huge relief to would-be Democratic candidates who have continued to campaign for the White House amid months of investigation. (Photo credit: YURI GRIPAS/AFP, Getty Images)
“Incorrectly conflated subjects’ religious views with RMVE activity, creating the impression that the FBI was inappropriately considering religious beliefs and affiliations as a basis for conducting investigative activities. It reflects a lack of training and awareness regarding terrorist terminology.” (Related article: ‘Horrifying’: Attorney General Merrick Garland denies memo targeting Catholics)
Although the investigation into Mr. Lopez was deemed appropriate, the inspector general criticized the FBI Richmond memo for not adhering to analytical standards and falsely linking religious views to violent extremism. The report says there is not enough evidence to support a link between racially motivated violent extremism and radical traditional Catholicism, Fox News reported.
As a result of the investigation, the FBI has taken corrective actions, including expanded training and strengthened screening protocols for classified intelligence products, according to FOX News.
