Patel Won’t Let FBI Target Catholics, Would Hold Those Who Did Accountable
FBI Director nominee Kash Patel promised he would not target Catholics and hold those accountable who did:
HAWLEY: Let me ask you this. Is it appropriate for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to attempt to recruit spies or informants into religious institutions in this country, particularly Catholic parishes? Is that appropriate?PATEL: I don’t believe so, Senator.HAWLEY: Mr. Patel, are you familiar with the recent actions of the FBI in this regard, including this memo that I have right here. Making a list of Catholic churches and parishes that they regard as potentially suspect and directing the potential recruitment of informants and other spies, let’s be honest, into those parishes?PATEL: I’m familiar with that memo.HAWLEY: Mr. Patel, would you commit to me that you will if you are confirmed? That you will finally and officially withdraw this memo and make it clear that this is not only unacceptable, but that it is an absolute violation of the First Amendment that every American enjoys under the constitution of the United States?PATEL: If I’m confirmed. Senator. Yes.HAWLEY: Will you also commit to me that you will conduct an investigation and find out who wrote this memo, who spread this memo, the field office involved in this memo because I can tell you, we’ve had your predecessor sit right where you’re sitting, and he has repeatedly, repeatedly lied to, there’s no other word for it, lied to this committee. He told us initially that it didn’t happen, that the FBI didn’t gross abuse of Americans First Amendment rights. And will you discipline them? And if you possibly can, will you fire them, Mr. Patel?PATEL: Consistent with department policy and law, Senator, you have my commitment to investigate. Any matter such as this one that are important to Congress, I will fully utilize if confirmed the investigative powers of the FBI to give you the information you require and also to hold those accountable who violated the sacred trust placed in them at the FBI.HAWLEY: I’m glad to hear you say that. And I’m glad you use the word sacred trust because that’s exactly what it is. The FBI is the most powerful law enforcement body in this nation, arguably the most powerful law enforcement body, at least in a free nation, in the world. And to have this body corrupted politically such that it is targeting people of faith in this country and then lying about it to this committee and the American people is unimaginable. I’ll be honest with you. I never thought this would happen in the United States of America. I just didn’t. If you had told me five years ago we’d be reading memos like this, I would have said, no way. No way. That’s bad fiction. In fact, it’s a horrible reality. The department needs to be cleaned up. The agency does and our rights restored and protected. I’m glad to hear you say that.
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