{"id":2127883,"date":"2023-12-18T10:37:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-targeting-of-catholics-went-beyond-single-office-redacted-documents-show\/"},"modified":"2023-12-18T10:40:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:40:14","slug":"fbi-targeting-of-catholics-went-beyond-single-office-redacted-documents-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-targeting-of-catholics-went-beyond-single-office-redacted-documents-show\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI targeted Catholics extensively, beyond one office, as revealed by redacted documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffbi-targeting-of-catholics-went-beyond-single-office-redacted-documents-show%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2127883&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Judicial Watch Reveals FBI Targeting of Catholics: Scandal Exposed<\/h2>\n<p>Judicial Watch has obtained 98 pages of FBI files \u2062that shed light on\u2064 the agency&#8217;s disturbing attitudes towards investigating Catholics. These heavily \u2063redacted documents challenge\u200d the FBI&#8217;s claim that the surveillance operation was limited to one field office. Shockingly, it appears that top lawyers\u2062 within the\u2062 FBI\u200d approved \u2063this operation, as revealed by Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.<\/p>\n<p>Fitton insists that these documents should spark a criminal inquiry into what he calls the\u2062 &#8220;Biden FBI scandal.&#8221; The leaked\u2064 FBI intelligence document, which referred\u2062 to Catholics as &#8220;radical-traditionalist Catholics,&#8221; further supports the need for investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Contrary to FBI Director Christopher Wray&#8217;s testimony that the document was a product of a single field office, Judicial\u200d Watch&#8217;s findings indicate that it was reviewed by the Office of General Counsel\/Chief Deputy Counsel. The records also suggest coordination with officials from Portland and Milwaukee.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Sound familiar?<\/p>\n<p>Judicial Watch: &#8220;Contrary to statements under oath\u200b by FBI Director Wray, official documents proved that the FBI was targeting Catholics\u2064 as &#8216;violent extremists&#8217; and the undercover \u200doperation was widespread.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Wake up America.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. Clay\u2064 Higgins\u2064 (@RepClayHiggins) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepClayHiggins\/status\/1736435635244663265?\">December 17, \u20642023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In August, a House Judiciary Committee\u200b news release revealed that\u2064 the FBI Richmond Field Office collaborated with \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-whistleblower-nobody-i-know-signed-up-to-investigate-parents-who-vented-at-schoolboard-meetings\/\" title=\"FBI Whistleblower: Nobody I Know Signed Up To Investigate Parents Who Vented at Schoolboard Meetings\">multiple field offices<\/a> across the country to produce a memo targeting traditional Catholics as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opinion-cnn-doesnt-want-to-hear-anyone-who-sounds-like-you\/\" title=\"OPINION: CNN Doesn\u2019t Want To Hear Anyone Who Sounds Like You\">potential domestic terrorists<\/a>. Both the FBI Portland and FBI Los Angeles field offices were implicated in this memo, \u2063according to the release.<\/p>\n<p>Judicial Watch obtained a\u200b highly redacted document labeled &#8220;Domain Perspective \u2014 Threat Target\/Facilitation Platform, FBI Richmond.&#8221; This document, \u200dissued on January 23,\u2063 highlights \u200dthe interest\u2062 of racially or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-says-biggest-domestic-terror-threats-in-2021-are-violent-extremists-motivated-by-race-or-anti-authority-views\/\" title=\"FBI Says Biggest Domestic Terror Threats in 2021 Are Violent Extremists Motivated by Race or Anti-Authority Views\">ethnically motivated violent extremists<\/a> in\u2064 radical-traditionalist \u200bCatholic ideology. It also suggests potential engagement limitations between radical\u2064 traditionalist Catholics and far-right white nationalists.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200cdocument identifies nine Catholic groups as hate\u200d groups, as designated by the Southern Poverty Law \u2064Center. It further recommends that FBI agents reach out to churches visited by radical traditionalist Catholics to sensitize \u2063congregations to signs of radicalization.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The \u2063FBI is targeting Catholics with the help of their Milwaukee Field Office.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2063is \u200can unacceptable and blatant attack on your civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI must be held accountable! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Lf3SHPkRse\">https:\/\/t.co\/Lf3SHPkRse<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepTiffany\/status\/1732119234753298606?\">December 5, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Former congressman Tim Huelskamp, \u2062Senior Advisor to CatholicVote, expressed \u2063deep concern \u2062over the FBI&#8217;s unconstitutional targeting of faithful Catholics. He asserts that this program, which involved\u200d infiltrating\u200b Catholic \u2062parishes and attempting to influence elections, was not only widespread but also supported by senior officials. Huelskamp also\u200b criticizes the Biden administration for its inaction as Catholic churches\u200b have faced over 200 attacks since May 2022.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>The post \u2064 <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fbi-targeting-catholics-went-beyond-single-office-redacted-documents-show\/\">FBI Targeting of Catholics Went Beyond Single \u200cOffice, \u2063Redacted\u200d Documents Show<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the implications\u2062 of targeting a religious\u200b group \u200dbased on \u200dtheir beliefs\u200b and\u200c affiliations,\u2063 and how does it contradict the principles of religious \u2064freedom and equal protection under the law?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Watch&#8217;s findings add \u2062further weight to these claims, indicating \u2062that the surveillance\u2063 operation was not \u2063limited to one field office but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-probes-fbis-use-of-new-geosurveillance-method\/\" title=\"House GOP investigates FBI's new geosurveillance technique.\">involved multiple offices<\/a> across the country.\u200c This raises serious questions about the extent of \u200bthe FBI&#8217;s targeting\u200c of Catholics and the level of coordination within\u2064 the agency.<\/p>\n<p>The leaked\u2063 FBI\u200d intelligence document, \u2064which referred to Catholics as &#8220;radical-traditionalist Catholics,&#8221; is deeply concerning. It \u2063suggests a troubling bias and \u2064raises concerns about religious profiling.\u200d Such labeling can have serious consequences for\u200c individuals and\u200d communities, perpetuating stereotypes and potentially infringing\u200d on civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to \u200bnote that\u2062 targeting\u2063 a religious\u200d group based on their beliefs or affiliations goes against the principles of religious freedom and equal protection under the law. The Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, \u2063and any actions that infringe upon\u2062 this right undermine the foundations of \u2064our democracy.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the involvement of top lawyers within the FBI in approving this\u200c operation is alarming.\u2063 It raises questions about the ethics and judgment of those responsible for overseeing the agency&#8217;s activities. If individuals at the highest levels of the FBI were aware of and supported this targeting of Catholics, it undermines the public&#8217;s trust in the\u2062 agency and raises concerns about the politicization of \u2064law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Judicial Watch&#8217;s President, Tom Fitton, is right to call \u200cfor a criminal \u200binquiry into this matter. It is essential that a thorough investigation\u2063 takes place to determine the extent of the FBI&#8217;s targeting of \u2063Catholics and hold those responsible \u200baccountable.\u200b The American people deserve to know the truth \u200cand\u200b have confidence that their government institutions are acting in a fair and impartial \u200dmanner.<\/p>\n<p>This scandal also raises broader questions about the FBI&#8217;s approach to\u2063 counterterrorism efforts. As Rep. Clay\u200d Higgins highlighted in his tweet, it is critical that law \u2063enforcement agencies focus their resources on genuine threats to national security, rather than targeting specific religious or ideological groups indiscriminately.<\/p>\n<p>The revelations brought forth by Judicial Watch underscore the need for transparency, accountability, and oversight\u200b within our law enforcement agencies. It is crucial that Congress and other oversight bodies thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that \u200bappropriate measures are \u2062taken to prevent such targeting and profiling in \u2063the future.<\/p>\n<p>In a society that values\u200d religious \u2062freedom and equal protection\u200c under the law,\u200b the targeting \u200bof\u2062 any\u200d religious group \u2063is unacceptable. The American people deserve a government that respects their fundamental rights\u200c and upholds the principles\u200d of justice and fairness. The FBI&#8217;s targeting of Catholics, \u2064as exposed by Judicial\u2062 Watch, is\u200c a troubling \u200dviolation of these principles and must be addressed promptly and thoroughly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judicial Watch obtained 98 pages of FBI files, heavily redacted, through a FOIA request. The files aim to uncover the agency&#8217;s stance on investigating Catholics. Contrary to the FBI&#8217;s claim of limited involvement, these documents reveal a broader operation targeting Catholics and churches, debunking their narrative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":661,"featured_media":2127885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2127883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2127883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2127885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2127883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2127883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2127883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}