FBI Richmond Office Worked With ‘Multiple Field Offices’ to Produce Memo Targeting ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholics’

FBI Richmond Office Worked With ‘Multiple Field Offices’ to Produce Memo Targeting ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholics’

I’m shocked, I’m telling you. SHOCKED.

You mean to tell me the FBI Richmond Field Office targeting us radical traditional Catholics wasn’t a one off thing?

Nope! Christopher Dunham, FBI Acting Assistant Director, told House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan that the Richmond office worked with multiple field offices to produce the memo targeting “radical traditionalist Catholics”:

The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing to conduct oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) assessment of traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists. From information recently produced to the Committee, we now know that the FBI relied on information from around the country—including a liaison contact in the FBI’s Portland Field Office and reporting from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office—to develop its assessment. This new information suggests that the FBI’s use of its law enforcement capabilities to intrude on American’s First Amendment rights is more widespread than initially suspected and reveals inconsistencies with your previous testimony before the Committee. Given this startling new information, we write to request additional information to advance our oversight.

However, the document given to the committee is redacted. Jordan told Wray the committee keeps asking for the unredacted version.

The redacted version gave the committee enough information to pinpoint what information the three field offices exchanged:

The document cited reporting from an “FBI Portland liaison contact with indirect access” who informed on a “deceased [Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist (RMVE)] subject” who had “sought out a mainline Roman Catholic community” and then “gravitated to [Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)].” In addition, the document noted how an FBI undercover employee with “direct access” reported on a subject who “attended the SSPX-affiliated [redacted] Church in [redacted] California, for over a year prior to his relocation.” The document states that FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office initiated an investigation on the “RMVE subject.” Most concerning of all the newly produced version of the document explicitly states that FBI Richmond “[c]oordinated with” FBI Portland in preparing the assessment. Thus, it appears that both FBI Portland and FBI Los Angeles field offices were involved in or contributed to the creation of FBI’s assessment of traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists.

The Judiciary Committee already asked Wray to correct his testimony regarding free speech.

Jordan wants Wray to amend his testimony about the Richmond field office as well.

Jordan also wants all the documents and information related to:

1. All documents and communications between the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the FBI’s Portland Field Office referring or relating to the reporting cited in the January 23, 2023, Domain Prospective, entitled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities”;

2. All documents and communications between the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office referring or relating to the reporting cited in the January 23, 2023, Domain Prospective, entitled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities”;

3. A list of FBI intelligence products that have also cited the reporting done by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, as well as any other investigations initiated based on the same; and

4. Confirm the placement and access of the FBI’s Portland Field Office liaison contact with indirect access and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Undercover Employee with direct access.

Just a reminder that we are still seeing Catholic Churches vandalized and ruined since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Not a peep from the FBI.

The number is between 260 and 324.

But we’re the radicals because some of us still choose the Latin Mass and wear veils to Mass. We like to keep some of the traditions from before Vatican II.

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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