Rep. Jordan Subpoenas FBI Director Wray to Hand Over Documents Associated With Operation Targeting Catholics
“Americans attend church to worship and congregate for their spiritual and personal betterment. They must be free to exercise their fundamental First Amendment rights without worrying that the FBI may have planted so-called ‘tripwire’ sources or other informants in their houses of worship.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed FBI Director Christopher Wray to send over all documents associated with an operation that targeted Catholics.
The operation took place at the Richmond, VA, field office. Documents revealed the agency placed sources and at least one undercover employee at “mainline Catholic parishes” because if you’re a traditional Catholic, then you’re a white supremacist:
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 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. Nonetheless, the current trend of RMVE [racially/ethnically motivated violent extremist] interest in RTC ideology provides new opportunities to mitigate the RMVE threat through outreach to traditionalist parishes and the development of sources with the placement and access to report on RMVEs seeking to use RTC on social media sites or places of worship as facilitation platforms to promote violence.
You like the Latin Mass? You’re a white supremacist. You like the old traditions of the Catholic Church? You’re a radical.
FBI headquarters revoked the documents from the Richmond office.
The House Judiciary Committee has been demanding all documents about the operation since February:
On February 16, 2023, Chairman Jordan and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) sought information from the FBI relating to a January 23, 2023 “domain perspective” document generated by the Richmond Field Office entitled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” After receiving no response, the Committee reiterated its request in a subsequent letter dated March 20, 2023. On March 23, 2023, the FBI produced a substandard and partial response consisting of only 18 pages—many with significant redactions of “personally identifiable information” or “specific non-public information about [FBI] investigations, sources, and methods” that prevents the Committee from fully assessing the content and context of the documents and obtaining information requested from the Bureau.
In the subpoena cover letter, Jordan told Wray the committee needs “all responsive material without redactions.” Jordan provided a few examples from the latest batch of documents:
The limited information that was provided to the Committee makes clear that we must possess all responsive material without redactions. From this selective production, we know that the FBI, relying on information derived from at least one undercover employee, sought to use local religious organizations as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.” For example, in a section of the document entitled “Opportunities,” the FBI wrote:
In addition to [redaction], engage in outreach to the leadership of other [Society of Saint Pius X] chapels in the FBI Richmond [area of responsibility] to sensitize these congregations to the warning signs of radicalization and to enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.
The FBI similarly noted two other opportunities to engage in outreach with religious institutions in the Richmond area, citing a desire “to sensitize the congregation to the warning signs of radicalization and enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.” This outreach plan even included contacting so-called “mainline Catholic parishes” and the local “diocesan leadership[].” The FBI also expressed an interest in “leverag[ing] existing sources and/or initiat[ing] Type 5 Assessments to develop new sources with the placement and access” to report on suspicious activity.
“The documents produced to date show how the FBI sought to enlist Catholic houses of worship as potential sources to monitor and report on their parishioners,” wrote Jordan. “Americans attend church to worship and congregate for their spiritual and personal betterment. They must be free to exercise their fundamental First Amendment rights without worrying that the FBI may have planted so-called ‘tripwire’ sources or other informants in their houses of worship.”
A church in Oklahoma City has Mass in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Is that also extreme?
It makes you wonder where else they spied. I doubt the Richmond office is the only one.
Catholics and Catholic churches have been under attack since someone leaked Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. The attacks escalated when SCOTUS officially overturned Roe v. Wade.
But hey, we’re the radicals. The FBI trusted the Southern Poverty Law Center and cited articles from Salon and The Atlantic. Such trustworthy places!
Pending piece – @FBI crossing the Rubicon on 1A protection – freedom of religion.
"There may be limits to the level of engagement between [Radical Traditionalist Catholics] and OTHER far-right white nationalists…"
You prefer a Pre-Vatican II Latin Mass? #WhiteSupremacy https://t.co/8bx5dPeP3I pic.twitter.com/d4m6wrxdyM
— Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) February 8, 2023
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Comments
Smells of a Jan 6 setup. I’m sure the parishioners will be able to spot and ostracize the plants.
test
LOL.
Vanishing again!
According to the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute which specifies “Crimes Agains Humanity” Garland is guilty of Article 7 Section 1, subsection, h: “Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, grounds”, this along with the treatment of Catholic Mark Houck and Trump supporters locked up longer in pretrial detention that the maximum allowable sentence for the crimes for which they have been charged
Using a place for spying is not persecution.
Good God Milhouse, …really?
Yes, really. It is not persecution, and calling it that is not only a f***ing lie, which is bad enough in its own right, but also diminishes actual persecution, which you wouldn’t know if it bit you in a sensitive part of your anatomy.
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, imprisonment, internment, fear or pain are all factors that may establish persecution, but not all suffering will necessarily establish persecution. The threshold of severity has been a source of much debate. (Wikipedia)
I think what they did to Mark Ηοuck qualifies; Donald Trump too; and great many still incarcerated
Using a place for spying is not persecution. In any way whatsoever.
If the congregation finds an agent, take care of the problem. Quietly.
Soylent transubstantiation. “It’s a miracle!”
I’m thinking something more direct. One of those tree limb eating machines.
SO… dip AND chips!
No violence necessary. Just quietly ease them out of any position where they can do harm. Wait until they advocate violence, then report them to the local police – not the FBI. Try to find cops that are pissed that the FBI kept them out of the loop, so the cops can bust the plants for terrorism – and for impersonating cops if they present FBI credentials. Force the FBI to go to court and confirm that these terrorism advocates are _their_ people.
“They must be free to exercise their fundamental First Amendment rights without worrying that the FBI may have planted so-called ‘tripwire’ sources or other informants in their houses of worship.”
Still and again and again: If you or I egregiously and aggressively conspired to deprive others their civil rights (threats, intimidation, deceipt, etc), the state AG or federal DOJ would see us in prison, or at the very least, fined into oblivion. So, why isn’t C. Wray under arrest? Or those senior agents in the Richmond, VA, field office who orchestrated this attempted deprivation of civil rights?
Yes, yes, I know why: Hillary still runs the DOJ.
This program, hateful and wasteful as it was, did not deprive anyone of any civil right. A parallel program in mosques would be fine, even though their constitutional status is equal to that of churches.
“A parallel program in mosques would be fine.” As far as I know… that hasn’t happened. Any intervention from plants in mosques? I am reminded of the student looking from New Jersey at the Twin Towers. The teacher asked why… because they won’t be there next week.
This has been the big push.. to find “Christian Nationalists” .. so I guess wanting the Mass in Latin is part of that. Have to wonder what beliefs the FBI harbors… everybody believes in something.
I suppose you’re correct. Afterall, the long documented history of radical Catholic suicide bombers screaming ‘allahu akbar’ before blowing up a public venue is a very reasonable comparison to make with Islamic mosques.
Heck, if Catholics have nothing to hide, why would they mind spies infiltrating their churches??
Sounds like FBI agents are suffering from mass hysteria.
They’re just investigating potential cannibalism. “Transmogrification” is the only trans about which the Feebs are concerned, as those nutty Catholics probably vote for Republicans. Obviously makes them potential terrorists.
Exactly. The last time Catholic terrorism was a problem was centuries ago, so spying on Catholics like this is not justified. Moslem terrorism is a problem now, so spying on them is justified. Claiming that it deprives anyone of their civil rights means that Moslems can’t be spied on either, and that is ridiculous.
Ordinary Catholics are all right.
It’s Libertarian Catholics who own an AR-15 you have to worry about.
😉 😀
Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus
Who the hell is down voting this?? Good grief.
Baffling.
Protestants.
Wray is following the Marxist handbook out to destroy western religions
One of my sons is part of a Latin mass group that promotes, well, the mass said in Latin. Which they do at his local parish. It is, coincidentally, of maybe not so coincidentally, the mass most heavily attended by couple with children, or intending to have them.
He was recently contacted by someone in the DC area who was very interested in finding more about this group, and how to join similar ones, or get one started locally. This someone had a 3 month old social media history, sprung out of nowhere, with all kinds of conservative postings. Or rather- what a DC insider thinks conservative postings would be.
My son blew him off. And circulated to other similar groups the infiltration attempt. And notes about what to look for in an infiltrations attempt.
Is my son paranoid? Well, that brings up another question. Are you paranoid if they really are out to get you?
A number of people in my son’s group are ex-military. Some well versed, very well versed, in intelligence and counter-intelligence operations.
At this point in history, if you’re a member of ANY conservative groups, even if it’s a local Scout group that’s been around for decades, or an American Legion Post, you need to be screening new members carefully. And for groups like my son’s, if the person attempting to join isn’t married, or is married with no children, and hasn’t been attending the masses (or meeting) for years like others, and has a newly created online social history- just say no. They’re a fed.
White supremacy
Priest: I can beat you at dominoes.
Congr: No you can’t beat us at dominoes.
Anna Dominoes.
Or Annie, as her close friends call her.
I’ll give you a view of Wray’s testimony ahead of time. “I’m sorry but I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. I’m starting to see a resemblance between Jordan and Trey Gowdy. A lot of hat but no cattle.
Hmmm it is as if congressmen aren’t the president of the United States!
Instead of sabotaging our own side how about acknowledging how little authority our side has and working to change that?
What happens when Wray stonewalls? And after a year of Jordan issuing Wray sternly worded letters and memoranda the whole so-called investigation grinds to a halt?
We bleat, unheralded – and after getting dipped and sheared, the shepherd admonishes us to stop bleating.
Here’s the thing, though, the House committees have no power to do anything but investigate. What is done after that is up to Congress, both Houses (and only one is in GOP control atm), or to the Executive (DOJ, for instance).
The only reason we even know about this is that Jordan is doing his job exactly as it exists. If he could do more, he would. Beyond getting the public informed and behind action enough to sustain electoral victories for the GOP, what do you imagine he CAN do? Seriously, I’m asking. What power do you imagine he (or any other single member of Congress) has? It’s not clear to me that people complaining about investigations, strongly worded letters, etc. understand that what they are demanding (action . . . of some kind) is not in the purview of any committee, let alone any legislator.
Understanding how Congress works, indeed how our federal government was crafted by our Founders (i.e. that no single member of either House of Congress has the power you seem to imagine they have), would go a long way to easing your angst and help you focus on YOU doing something that can actually affect the changes you want to see.
A lot of the complainers are not only ignorant of the constitution, but hold it in contempt.
For instance just a few days ago we had gonzo demanding that AOC and Ron Wyden should be removed from office, somehow. She later confirmed that she did not simply mean that next time they are up for reelection (2028 in Wyden’s case) their constituents, who have supported them until now, should suddenly decide to vote against them. No, she meant they should be removed by extra-constitutional means, because she gives no more of a **** for the constitution than the lefties do.
Milhouse – we could bribe maintenance to install a rogue garbage disposal in AOC’s apartment. No muss, no fuss.
Thank you for making it clearer than I usually do,
The House has plenty of power, if they had the balls to use it. If officials of any agency stonewall a Congressional committee, strip that agency’s entire budget from the next round of appropriations. No federally-funded agency should resist Congressional oversight, and when they do, they should no longer be a federally-funded agency.
Eventually, we will realize that EVERYONe who is not a member of the Inner Party is being targeted.
And this is the reason we need a nominee who could actually win the general election.
If they take out Trump, they take out us all.
Hey, there’s always that broken-down Asa Hutchinson.
What do you mean take out Trump? Or take out all of us?
Here is the Trump electoral record
1. 2016-Hillary won more votes but she determined Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania was a blue wall and she never visited them and minimized resources to them. The result was Trump with fewer votes in Wisconsin than Mitt Romney had in 2012 won that state, and won by razor thin margins in the other two giving an average electoral college victory.
2. 2018-Blue wave year
2020-Democrat decisive victory taking the presidency
2021-His antics cost us the senate, he would thankfully fade out of existence most of the remainder of the year allowing Glenn Youngkin to run on local issues without Trump
2022-Returned to thwart the red wave with Trump candidates like Blake Masters, Doug Mastriano and Don Bolduc losing by massive margins showing exactly how strong Trump is in their states.
2023-When he returned to the news as a headline we lost in Wisconsin again.
The person who took out Trump’s ability to win is that the American voter for the most part hates him.
With what the FBI is exposed doing in this and countless other cases if you honestly want to lose 2024 by nominating Trump you really……words fail me.
Either you care about Trump getting the nomination or you care about changing things in the country. A vote for Trump as nominee is a vote for Joe Biden.
This is not correct. Because exactly the same consideration applies to mosques, and yet I would certainly hope the FBI is keeping a close eye on those, or at least those known to have radical connections. The NYPD used to do this, but the politicians made them promise to stop; I hope they lied and are still doing it, but at any rate they certainly should do it, and the first amendment should not be seen as an obstacle to that.
Spying at Catholic churches in this manner is wrong, not because of the first amendment but because it just so happens that Moslem terrorists are a real threat. If Catholic terrorists were still a thing I would support exactly such a program at churches, but the last time that was true was about 300 years ago. (The IRA terrorists were only ethnically Catholic; they were Marxists, and therefore doctrinaire atheists, and you wouldn’t catch them dead in a church, so there was no point in looking for them there.)
My worry isn’t an innocent informant who is there to act as a tripwire to alert the FBI to some actual terrorist activity or terror cell formation. I am worried a out 2 things:
1) These informants are informing on much more than terrorism and are being used to make lists of people who simply oppose the regime and its goals.
2) These informants are meant to start their own little terror cells and allow yet more renditions of “FBI stops FBI terror plot,” this time with conservative Catholics (and who knows who else).
I question the motives of this tripwire program because, well, how many traditional Catholics have committed any type of terrorist activity? What is the reason for this program to target them?
I don’t suppose an agent provocateur would get any takers at a typical Catholic church, not even at an antisemitic sedevecantist church.
“…therefore doctrinaire atheists, and you wouldn’t catch them dead in a church, so there was no point in looking for them there.”
I’ve encountered a great number of non-believers and imposters in churches. Essentially, that’s what the new testament book of Jude is all about. Even the Christian doctrine of the anti-Christ talks about him standing and exalting himself in the most holy place.
Funny how when Garland testifies the DoJ would never do something, they’re already doing it. They’d ever target parents as domestic terrorists merely exercising their 1st amendment rights at school board meetings. BOOM! The liar is barely out of the co.mmitee room and we find out that the counter terror division is not only targeting parents they have their own special threat tag.
Garland testifies that it’s entirely up to the FBI to determine what level of force is required (when raiding a peaceful CATHOLIC abortion protesters home) and the DoJ would NEVER interfere. Then the WaPo reports that the FBI didn’t think a confrontational approach was necessary to seize documents at Mar-a-Lago and the DoJ prosecutors over-ruled them and told them they wanted a big show of force
Garland testified the U.S. Marshall’s had a free hand to arrest illegal protesters at SCOTUS justices homes. Nope. The DoJ told the Marshall’s not to make arrests except as an absolute last resort.
Then just last month Garland testified he was “appalled” at the anti-Catholic memo based on SPLC propaganda designating “Radical Traditional Catholics” a white supremacist hate group. He assured the committee that they would never target anyone simply for exercising their 1st amendment right to free exercise of religion. Now we find the clandestine infiltration operation had not only been approved but was well underway at the very same Richmond field office that circulated the memo.
The only visited the mosque that produced the Boston bombers to do outreach despite ample warning from their Russian counterparts. Who knew the real threat to the Republic was the pre-Vatican II Latin mass and praying outside abortion clinics?
Arresting political opponents.
Ignoring court orders.
Spying on honest citizen groups.
Damn, we’re “here”.
“Conversely, deep-seated anti-Catholicism remains a characteristic of many far-right white nationalists….
You like the Latin Mass? You’re a white supremacist.
You like the old traditions of the Catholic Church? You’re a radical.”
You hate Catholics entirely? You’re a far-right white nationalist.
Heads they win, tails they win.
… far-white nationalists…
What is a “far-white nationalists”? Is that worse than a “white nationalist” but better than a “far-far-white nationalist”?
Fixed, thanks! (and also for the giggle; I love when typos lead to good fun!)
So your screen name was supposed to be Suzzy Flippers?
Has anybody considered that perhaps the FBI got confused with the “documents” case involving the “catholic” Joe Biden and proceeded to investigate the Catholic Church instead.
The FBI could, you know, just attend the Services instead of thinking that they need to infiltrate them.
This reminds me of Mayor Parker in Houston back in 2015 issuing a city-wide subpoena for the texts of Sermons in a number of Churches. We all pointed out that she and her team are more than welcome to come and attend the Services to hear the Sermons directly, Oh, and that most of these Churches post recordings of the Worship on-line; all they need to do is download them from the websites. We raised the ridiculous question of why she needed to subpoena something that was publicly available?
She withdrew the subpoenas.
She was just waving her d___ around.
These days, not so uncommon.