Fox News reported that at least 16 Senate Republicans demanded the FBI provide the chamber with a “coherent and complete response” regarding a memo targeting Catholics.
The FBI insisted only the Richmond field office had anything to do with the memo claiming a connection between “traditional Catholics” and domestic terrorism.
Because you know us Catholics who love the Latin Mass, wear veils to Mass, modest dress, etc., are horrible people. (No, I’m not in an offshoot. I just love some of the traditions pre-Vatican II)
The GOP wants FBI Director Christopher Wray’s response to include information about why the “FBI permanently deleted critical records related to the memo.”
The senators reminded the FBI that the agency used an internal review as an excuse not to hand over records about the memo.
The investigation had a “very narrow internal review, limited only to certain aspects of this single internal analyst report.”
It should not have taken long, but the FBI ignored requests from Republicans on the Budget and Judiciary Committee.
“The Ranking Members asked for copies of the correspondence between the intelligence analysts who drafted the Richmond memo and anyone of higher rank related to the report, an unredacted copy of the Domain Perspective memo, and a copy of all reports issued within FBI or DOJ within the past five years alleging a link between any primarily-religious or conservative association or entity and violent extremism,” stressed the senators.
It’s pretty suspicious that everything has disappeared, and the FBI remains quiet.
Gee, could it be because the memo didn’t belong only to a rogue field office? How many Catholics around the country did the FBI target?
Now we know that information related to the Richmond memo wasn’t provided to Congress because the FBI deleted the records as soon as the incident became public. According to a report released by the House Judiciary Committee on December 4, Deputy Director Paul Abbate ordered Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador to “take [the memo] down” as soon as it became public. According to Agent Meador, there was then a “follow-up call” from Tanya Ugoretz, the FBI’s Assistant Director of the Directorate of Intelligence, which ordered Agent Meador to notify the Deputy Director and Ms. Ugoretz, “‘when [he] had taken the necessary steps’ to remove the memorandum, and anything referring to the document, from FBI systems.” FBI must provide an immediate explanation for its order to delete records related to this incident, which not only obstructs congressional oversight, but also means the FBI’s internal review itself did not have access to documents that may have provided critical information on the incident. The FBI must also explain why it withheld this information from the Senate, despite repeated requests for records.
We also know the Richmond office worked with other field offices.
“It seems the only thing that prevented this memo from being published Bureau wide was the public backlash against the internal Richmond memo,” wrote the senators. “So not only wasn’t the memo the work of a single field office, but there also wasn’t ‘a single product,’ as you testified under oath.”
This is a huge deal. Even if the memo really only belonged to the Richmond office (work with me here) it’s still a big deal. You’re treading close to violating a person’s First Amendment.
No legitimate reason to target any Catholic.
The senators told Wray that cooperation is one way to restore faith in the agency and fix its culture problem. I mean, the FBI and DOJ have a history of targeting ordinary people like parents who demand a say in their child’s education and those who participated in the Capitol Hill riot.
It doesn’t help that the FBI cited leftist outlets and organizations as justification to go after Catholics:
This broader crisis of FBI leadership is part of an ongoing pattern of weaponization of federal law enforcement against ordinary citizens that we have warned you about at length, and which the FBI must address. In March, Senator Grassley and Senator Graham expressed concern that, “[a]lthough the FBI withdrew this report quickly after public scrutiny was focused upon . . . its drafting, approval, and release proves yet again the crisis brewing within the FBI and its leadership, which time and again has failed to rein in such blatant bias.” Likewise, Senator Lankford and Senator Grassley on October 11 wrote you questioning the FBI’s use of the deeply-biased and thoroughly-discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a source in intelligence products. Even though the FBI’s October 27 letter purported to respond to that letter, it failed to do so. Accordingly, we once again request further information regarding the FBI’s dependence upon the SPLC.
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Comments
“It’s pretty suspicious that everything has disappeared, and the FBI remains quiet.”
No, it’s the FBI modus operandi, secure in the knowledge that there is nothing any GOP Senator can do about it
The GoP Senators could do something but almost certainly will not. Here are three:
1. They could refuse ANY unanimous consent requests until the FBI comes clean. That would put the Senate into a morass of multiple rounds of procedural votes on any motion brought to the floor.
2. A speaking filibuster until the FBI comes clean.
3. Refuse any GoP votes for passage of anything, including where the rules require 60 (so 10 GoP votes needed).
“You’re treading close to violating a person’s First Amendment.”
When you’re ripping the adjacent one bloody, you just can’t avoid some overspray.
We’re long past the point where it’s clear the FBI is a treasonous criminal organization, and needs to be dissolved, with its members prosecuted for their crimes.
If I were to do this, it would be obstruction of justice. If the feds do it, no punishment. The FBI needs to be BLOWN UP. That’s right, BLOWN UP.
Exactly… so sick of hearing how the rank and file are all such good hardworking patriots…. BS !!…. They know EXACTLY what is going on and they ALL either support it or are too big of cowards or value their cushy government job way way more than the country they are actively helping to destroy
When the FBI is the administration’s Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) what do we expect?
Unleashed by a tyrannical administration, unhinged and unaccountable to the nation’s elected representatives, doing the work of keeping the tyrannical government in power, why would they ruin the gravy train they are riding?
Armed bureaucrats with badges, doing the work of a corrupt and vicious government.
Yeah FBI. I am referring to you. Not a single damned one of you are honest. From the Director down to the newest recruit, all of you are criminals, and I hope the next administration disbands the FBI.
But the way we are going, the Gestapo will prevent a republican administration.
When told by one of his subordinates that the Pope disagreed with some of his policies, Stalin asked: “How many divisions does the Pope have?”
So. How many divisions do the Legislative and Judicial branches have that can enforce their demands/requests?
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
And they call Trump a dictator.
The upper “leadership” needs to be removed. Their culture is toxic to the constitution.
The entire agency needs to be disbanded.
it goes well beyond upper leadership,..I’m of the firm belief that if there were any good cops, there wouldn’t be any bad cops
If you don’t think the FBI is also tagging breakaway Conservative Methodists, you haven’t been paying attention.
As others have said, this is now way beyond changing “leadership”. It’s time to disband the agency. Maybe spin off the crime lab division, but fire everyone else. If civil service protections prevent this, offer them jobs picking up litter in national parks, or helping blue cities with picking up homeless poop from the sidewalks.
Upper leadership! Lol.., Wake up… the lowest agent on up is treasonous garbage actively working against the US and it’s citizens… the only difference is the why of their motivation
Blame it on the Zoroastrians.
Stop clutching your pearls and start holding these parasites accountable.
great idea, but how do you suppose that will ever happen?
Not with any politicians currently in office.
Raze FBI headquarters to the ground, and, sale the earth upon which the structure stood.
The corrupt, lawless and hyper-partisan FBI is now gleefully, arrogantly and brazenly acting as the secret police arm of the vile Dhimmi-crat Party.
” *salt* the earth…”
Ugliest building in the country, filled with some of the most horrid people in the country. Make the fuckers stay in it without any upgrades.
I believe I read Congress (GOP included) just authorized building new headquarters for the FBI — Do I recall correctly it’s to be bigger than the Pentagon?
Yep. And instead of being shaped like a Pentagon, it will be shaped like the hakenkreuz.
The FBI, under its current leadership, has absolutely zero interest in “fixing its culture problem.” Because that would entail giving up all the kompromat it has accumulated on leading political figures, and giving up most of its current power.
FBI delenda est.
to remove the memorandum, and anything referring to the document, from FBI systems
Interesting, since I just had to complete my annual training on Record Retention, and what qualifies and what doesn’t. Oh, and what consequences I might face if I were to violate the law and regulations there.
They must have missed including the part with the exclusion for “If I was planning something unconstitutional and don’t want to suffer consequences for it.”
To be honest, with the lack of an organized political opposition, the Left cannot be expected to do anything else. The FBI will do anything [literally] that their masters order.
Subotai Bahadur
Sorry. The FBI has no masters. They are their own masters.
They have compromising information on virtually every Congress Critter, Senator, Civil Service employee, Bank Executives, CEO, political leaders, judges from the local magistrate to Supreme Court Justice, Generals, foreign leaders, and anyone else they can control.
They will threaten to release photos and videos of Representatives and Senators having sex with minors, committing adultery, committing crimes, and anything else they need to do to control the population.
It all started with JEH, and has only gotten more sinister due to their ability to collect digital information.
“…with the lack of an organized political opposition, the Left cannot be expected to do anything else.”
That’s it right there. Without an organized opposition, doing things right is no better than doing whatever they feel like, and way less fun.
The FBI should come clean and admit the dog ate it. This is the same FBI that impedes Congressional inquiries while asking for more monies and a new building from which it can spy on us and after 3 years cannot locate the J5 pipe bomber.
“Senate GOP Claim FBI Erased Records”
“You mean, like, with an altar cloth?”
The bureaucracy is part of the Democrat Party.
Thanks, Obama!
There should be a pink slip with Wray’s name on it.
Write the budget with a clause that funds will be withheld day-for-day for any department which denies to reveal any Congressional request due to internal review. Done. Ensure the law docks all funds as distributed; salary, office supplies, transportation, etc. FAFO.