A non-profit public interest law firm and a faith-based political organization are suing the Biden administration to disclose records on a plot by the Federal Bureau of Investigations to spy on Catholic churches on the grounds Catholics pose a possible terrorist threat.
Judicial Watch and CatholicVote Civic Action filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the FBI and Justice Department for records and documents on an explosive FBI intelligence memo ordering agents to spy on several Catholic churches, claiming traditional and faithful Catholics pose a supposed violent threat.
The memo was issued at the time Antifa and pro-abortion radicals were engaged in a national campaign of attacks and firebombings of Catholic churches and charities
“Our weaponized and corrupt government agencies have demonstrated a pattern of contempt for justice and the rule of law by prioritizing partisan ideology and agendas over the protection of the American people – in particular those with whom they disagree politically,” said CatholicVote President Brian Burch. “We are demanding transparency from our government and are determined to uncover just how high up the anti-Catholic bigotry goes.”
“In a brazen attack on the First Amendment and Christians, the Biden FBI planned to treat Catholics as potential terrorists and spy on them in their churches,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “And now, as our new FOIA lawsuit shows, the FBI and Justice Departments are trying to cover their tracks by hiding documents about this growing scandal.
The lawsuit comes after the FBI and Justice Department ignored four March 8, 2023 FOIA requests for:
(a) All emails, Lync messages, and text messages sent to and from the following FBI Headquarters officials: Director Christopher Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate, Asst. Director George P. Beach, II, General Counsel Jason Jones, Chief of Staff Jonathan Lenzner, Executive Asst. Dir. Larissa Knapp, and Asst. Dir. Timothy Langan for the period March 1, 2022 to the present referencing:
- “Catholics”
- “Latin Mass”
- “Radical-Traditionalist Catholics”
- “RTC”
- “Church Militant”
- “Catholic League”
- “Southern Poverty Law Center”
- “SPLC”
- “Pope Francis”
- “Vatican II”
- “Second Vatican Council”
- “Rosary”
- “FSSP”
(b) All emails, Lync messages, and text messages sent to and from the following FBI Richmond Field Office (RFO) officials: SAIC Stanley Meador, ASAIC David Lewis, ASAIC Stephen Farina, and the FBI Richmond Chief Division Counsel for the period March 1, 2022 to the present referencing:
- “Catholics”
- “Latin Mass”
- “Radical-Traditionalist Catholics”
- “RTC”
- “Church Militant”
- “Catholic League”
- “Southern Poverty Law Center”
- “SPLC”
- “Pope Francis”
- “Vatican II”
- “Second Vatican Council”
- “Rosary”
- “FSSP”
(c) All emails, Lync messages, and text messages sent to and from the following FBI Headquarters officials: Director Christopher Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate, Asst. Director George P. Beach, II, General Counsel Jason Jones, Chief of Staff Jonathan Lenzner, Executive Asst. Dir. Larissa Knapp, and Asst. Dir. Timothy Langan for the period March 1, 2022 to the present referencing:
- actions taken to remove the Intelligence Note from FBI systems;
- the FBI review of (1) the basis for the Intelligence Note and (2) any official FBI actions taken pursuant to the Intelligence Note
(d) All emails, Lync messages, and text messages sent to and from the following FBI Richmond Field Office (RFO) officials: SAIC Stanley Meador, ASAIC David Lewis, ASAIC Stephen Farina, and the FBI Richmond Chief Division Counsel for the period March 1, 2022 to the present referencing:
-
actions taken to remove the Intelligence Note from FBI systems;
-
the FBI review of (1) the basis for the Intelligence Note; (2) any official FBI actions taken pursuant to the Intelligence Note
Is the Vatican behind these suits?
Or for the FBI