FBI denies CatholicVote access to records on Catholic church surveillance.
The FBI’s Battle to Block Release of Records on Traditional Catholic Communities
The FBI is currently facing a legal challenge as it seeks to prevent the release of records related to a controversial memo that targeted traditional Catholic communities for surveillance. This memo, which was later retracted, claimed that these communities posed a potential threat.
The political advocacy organization CatholicVote took legal action against the FBI in April, demanding compliance with a Freedom of Information Act request. The request sought records regarding the drafting and dissemination of the memo at the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia field office. The memo labeled “radical traditional Catholic” communities as potential sources of domestic extremism, citing the Southern Poverty Law Center. After the memo was leaked online, the FBI retracted it.
FBI’s Resistance to Releasing the Records
In a recent court filing, the FBI argued against the release of the requested records, stating that CatholicVote was not entitled to them. The agency cited unspecified FOIA exemptions as the basis for its refusal.
“Plaintiffs are not entitled to compel the production of records, or portions thereof, properly protected from disclosure by one or more FOIA exemptions or exclusions,” stated the FBI in its filing.
During a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray addressed the memo and informed committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) that an internal investigation was underway regarding its drafting.
Both the FBI and the Department of Justice declined to comment on the matter.
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CatholicVote’s Determination to Obtain the Records
Brian Burch, the president of CatholicVote, expressed his organization’s determination to obtain the requested records. He revealed that the judge overseeing the case has scheduled a “briefing conference” later this month to discuss the FOIA request.
“Despite the FBI’s efforts to block access to these documents, we are preparing to press the court to compel them to turn them over as quickly as possible,” Burch stated. “We are confident that the law supports our request and are committed to defending the right of citizens to hold their government accountable in the face of what the Attorney General described as an ‘appalling’ abuse of power.”
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