Anti-Catholic FBI memo's origin revealed as bureau absolved of 'malicious intent'

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been exonerated by a Department of Justice reappraisal that recovered investigators did not intend to target accepted Catholics arsenic imaginable "racially aliases ethnically motivated convulsive extremists."

The Justice Department Inspector General reappraisal noted, however, that analysts "incorrectly conflated" an investigative subject's belief views pinch his alleged home coercion activities. 

Findings from nan 120-day review, which was handled by Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz and ordered by Congress, were outlined successful a letter sent to members of Congress connected Thursday.

An FBI Richmond, Virginia, internal memo, titled "Interest of Racially aliases Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists successful Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities," was leaked successful January 2023 and drew instant disapproval from Republicans, who demanded contiguous answers from nan agency.

According to nan inspector general's report, nan memo, which has been dubbed nan "Richmond Product," was circulated amid an investigation of a perchance convulsive individual who was identified successful nan study arsenic "Defendant A" and has since been arrested.

GOP SENATORS DEMAND THE FBI 'REPAIR THE DAMAGE' TO ITS CREDIBILITY OVER ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO DEBACLE

The Federal Bureau of Investigation office building is seen successful Washington, D.C., connected July 3, 2023. (Getty Images)

Though Defendant A was not been identified successful nan report, nan dates and specifications of nan lawsuit lucifer nan case against Xavier Lopez, who was indicted connected national weapons charges past June.

The FBI had been monitoring nan fishy since 2019 owed to his extremist views connected societal media, according to nan inspector general's review. 

The reappraisal stated that nan fishy expressed neo-Nazi rhetoric and described himself arsenic a "Catholic clerical fascist." The FBI said he wrote successful a missive to a family personnel that he needed to "build guns, explosives, and different forms of weaponry" successful bid to "make full warfare against nan Satanic occultist authorities and nan Zionist devil worshiping bankers who power it."

The indictment against Lopez did not mention nan religion he attended aliases that he was monitored up of his apprehension successful November 2022, erstwhile a hunt of his flat uncovered Molotov cocktails and firearms he was not allowed to possess. Lopez was connected probation astatine nan clip aft pleading blameworthy to felony vandalism for slashing tires.

Though nan investigation was appropriate, nan inspector general's reappraisal criticized aspects of nan memo informing astir imaginable extremism wrong definite Catholic churches that was shared by nan FBI's Richmond section office.

"The [FBI Inspection Division] study recovered that though location was nary grounds of malicious intent aliases an improper purpose, nan [memo] grounded to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and evinced errors successful master judgment, including that it lacked capable grounds aliases articulable support for a narration betwixt RMVEs (Racially Motivated Violent Extremists) and alleged RTC (Radical Traditional Catholicism) ideology; incorrectly conflated nan subjects’ belief views pinch their RMVE activities, creating nan quality that nan FBI had inappropriately considered belief beliefs and affiliation arsenic a ground for conducting investigative activity; and reflected a deficiency of training and consciousness concerning due home coercion terminology," nan inspector wide noted.

One of nan FBI analysts progressive successful nan creation of nan memo maintained that nan extremity was to alteration FBI Richmond to behaviour outreach to these "faith communities to make them alert of what we would telephone informing signs to radicalization, for nan protection of everybody." 

The inspector wide noted successful his appraisal that he and his squad "did not find grounds that anyone ordered aliases directed" nan individuals responsible for crafting nan memo "to find a nexus betwixt RMVEs and any circumstantial religion aliases governmental affiliation … aliases that location was immoderate underlying argumentation guidance concerning specified a link."

The inspector wide said a reappraisal of matter messages and different conversations had betwixt those who crafted nan memo astatine nan clip "did not place immoderate grounds of discriminatory aliases inappropriate comments by them" astir nan religion successful mobility successful nan FBI's investigation "or individuals who practiced a peculiar belief religion aliases held circumstantial governmental beliefs."

The inspector wide besides noted that he and his squad did not find grounds that nan FBI took immoderate investigative steps involving nan religion isolated from to show nan suspect's interactions. Investigators said they interviewed religion members astir nan defendant's alleged intent to incite violence.

CATHOLIC VOTERS RESPOND AFTER 'DEVOUT' BIDEN ONCE AGAIN SIDES AGAINST HIS CHURCH

Findings from nan 120-day review, which was handled by Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz and ordered by Congress, were outlined successful a missive sent to members of Congress connected Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"We recovered that FBI Richmond utilized these investigative techniques to get accusation astir Defendant A and not to hole nan Richmond DP aliases cod intelligence much generally," Horowitz wrote.

Based connected findings by nan FBI Inspection Division, nan inspector wide noted that nan FBI "instituted corrective actions, including expanding training connected analytical tradecraft standards and home coercion terminology, enhancing reappraisal and support requirements for intelligence products involving a delicate investigative matter, and formally admonishing nan labor involved."

"We did not assess, and truthful do not remark on, nan corrective actions taken by nan FBI," he said.

Following Horowitz's study to Congress, nan FBI released a connection applauding him for his activity and concluded that it aligns pinch their past remarks connected nan incident.

"We convey nan Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General for its review. The FBI has said galore times that nan intelligence merchandise did not meet our exacting standards and was quickly removed from FBI systems," nan agency said. "We besides person said location was nary intent aliases actions taken to analyse Catholics aliases anyone based connected religion; this was confirmed by nan findings of nan OIG."

"The FBI’s ngo is to protect our communities from imaginable threats while simultaneously upholding nan law authorities of each Americans. We do not behaviour investigations based solely connected First Amendment protected activity, including belief practices," it added.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies earlier nan Senate Judiciary Committee successful nan Hart Senate Office Building connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, D.C., connected Dec. 5, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Lopez was indicted successful June 2023 successful national tribunal connected 1 count of possessing ammunition while a convicted felon and 1 count of possessing destructive devices. In March of this year, he pleaded blameworthy to possessing destructive devices. His sentencing is scheduled to return spot successful September.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Horowitz noted that location were preliminary discussions pinch nan FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Strategic Unit to draught a akin memo to nonstop to much section offices, but "those discussions ended pursuing nan [memo] becoming public."

Fox News' Thomas Phippen, Jake Gibson and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.