A Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a report shared Thursday of malicious intent in an anti-catholic memo, Fox News reported.
A DOJ has cleared the FBI of any intent to target Catholics in a report sent to the members of the congress, according to Fox News. Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz conducted the 120-day review, mandated by Congress, and shared the findings in a letter.
The review scrutinized an internal FBI memo from its Richmond, Virginia, office which suggested that radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology might present new opportunities for mitigating extremism, Fox News stated. The memo, leaked in Jan. 2023, was widely criticized, particularly by Republicans who demanded clarifications from the agency. The review pointed out that investigators improperly linked an individual’s religious beliefs with his alleged domestic terrorism activities.
Anti-Catholic FBI memo’s origin revealed as bureau absolved of ‘malicious intent’ https://t.co/oaK4V4erU7
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The memo centered on an individual referred to as “Defendant A” in the inspector general’s report — later identified as Xavier Lopez, who was arrested and indicted on federal weapons charges, the outlet stated. The FBI had been monitoring Lopez since 2019 for his extremist views expressed on social media, including neo-Nazi rhetoric. He was arrested in Nov. 2022 after law enforcement found Molotov cocktails and illegal firearms in his apartment.
“The [FBI Inspection Division] report found that although there was no evidence of malicious intent or an improper purpose, the [memo] failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and evinced errors in professional judgment, including that it lacked sufficient evidence or articulable support for a relationship between RMVEs (Racially Motivated Violent Extremists) and so-called RTC (Radical Traditional Catholicism) ideology,” the inspector general stated, according to Fox News.
The FBI seal is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, DC on July 5, 2016. – The FBI said Tuesday it will not recommend charges over Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, but said she had been “extremely careless” in her handling of top secret data. The decision not to recommend prosecution will come as a huge relief for the presumptive Democratic nominee whose White House campaign has been dogged by the months-long probe. (Photo credit YURI GRIPAS/AFP via Getty Images)
“Incorrectly conflated the subjects’ religious views with their RMVE activities, creating the appearance that the FBI had inappropriately considered religious beliefs and affiliation as a basis for conducting investigative activity; and reflected a lack of training and awareness concerning proper domestic terrorism terminology.” (RELATED: ‘It’s Appalling’: Attorney General Merrick Garland Disavows Memo Targeting Catholics)
While the investigation of Lopez was deemed appropriate, the inspector general criticized the FBI Richmond memo for its failure to adhere to analytic standards and for incorrectly associating religious views with violent extremism. The report noted a lack of sufficient evidence to support a connection between racially motivated violent extremists and radical traditional Catholicism, Fox News reported.
Following the findings, the FBI has taken corrective measures, including expanded training and enhanced review protocols for sensitive intelligence products, according to Fox News.