Catholic Group Sues DOJ, FBI Over Failure To Comply With FOIA Request Detailing Anti-Catholic Memo

CatholicVote Sues FBI and DOJ Over FOIA Request

CatholicVote, a faith-based advocacy group, has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department and FBI for failing to provide a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request related to a leaked memo from the bureau targeting “Radical Traditional Catholics.”

The group claims that federal authorities have refused to turn over legal documents and communications to them after filing a FOIA request on March 8. Due to the delay in response, President Brian Burch told Fox News that the Biden Justice Department had left them with no choice but to sue federal authorities, demanding why they planned to spy on Catholic churches and treat its members as domestic terrorists.

The Leaked Memo

Last month, FBI whistleblower Kyle Seraphin published a leaked document from the bureau’s Richmond Field Office that explicitly points to “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists in radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology.” The document drew attention to the so-called Radical-Traditional Catholic, which authorities described as someone who rejects the Second Vatican Council as a valid church council, shows disdain for most of the popes elected since Vatican II, and frequently adheres to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and white supremacy views.

Following the leak of the unclassified intelligence document, FBI authorities purged its system and began reviewing the basis for it. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently said during congressional testimony the memo “does not reflect FBI standards.”

CatholicVote’s Response

CatholicVote said the subpoena from Rep. Jim Jordan confirmed “that the leaked memo, originally disavowed under oath by Attorney General Garland as an isolated incident initiated by a low-level rogue agent, was actually approved by senior intelligence analysts and distributed to field offices across the country.”

“We are demanding transparency from our government and are determined to uncover just how high up the anti-Catholic bigotry goes,” Burch said.

Burch attributed the actions from federal authorities as part of the “woke agenda” the Biden administration allegedly has weaponized against people of faith.

“Whether you are a parent who wants to hold a school board accountable, or whether you’re a pro-life American who believes that a baby with a heartbeat who feels pain has a right to life,” Burch told Fox News. “Soon, you are considered a domestic threat, and you could be going to church, and the FBI could be listening to you.”

Seraphin’s Take

Seraphin, who first published the leaked memo, told The Daily Wire that “the only way to force our government to obey the laws passed by Congress and make them accountable is by suing them.”

“The FBI’s de facto position is to fight FOIA at every turn,” Seraphin said. “When an agency that enforces the law refuses to be subject to the law, they lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Of course, it is no surprise the FBI doesn’t respect the First Amendment. Protected civil liberties are antithetical to intelligence agencies.”

Conclusion

The FBI and DOJ did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on the lawsuit. CatholicVote is determined to uncover the truth and hold the government accountable for its actions against people of faith.

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