New records obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley indicate that the FBI's controversial memo linking traditional Catholic ideology with violent extremism was circulated widely throughout the agency, despite earlier claims it was isolated to a single field office.

According to the Christian Post, the internal memo, drafted in early 2023 by the FBI’s Richmond office, was shared with over 1,000 employees across multiple field offices, prompting renewed scrutiny over the Bureau’s handling of religious freedom and internal oversight.

The document in question, often referred to as the "Richmond Memo," warned of the potential for ties between what it described as “radical traditionalist Catholic” ideology and threats of racial or ethnically motivated violence. It drew heavily from reporting by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a progressive advocacy group that has frequently classified certain religious and political views as extremist.

Documents reveal broader agency involvement

Contrary to earlier testimony by FBI leadership, Grassley's newly released findings show that at least three additional FBI field offices—in Portland, Milwaukee, and Louisville—contributed to the creation of the memo. Grassley’s documentation also uncovered 13 related internal memos and five accompanying attachments that used similar terminology.

In past statements, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the Richmond field office was solely responsible for the document. However, the senator now argues that the evidence paints a different picture, one of coordinated work among several FBI branches.

According to Grassley, the Bureau was not transparent about the extent of the memo’s development or its distribution, failing to disclose a second, broader draft intended for use agency-wide. This draft was never released following backlash over the original memo.

Sen. Grassley challenges FBI leadership

Grassley began pressing the FBI for clarity in March 2023 and continued through January 2024, sending a series of letters that questioned the use of external sources like the SPLC, and what he described as misleading information provided to Congress.

He said that Wray “evaded questions” during a July 2023 hearing by claiming an internal review had not yet been completed. By that point, Grassley asserted, the review had already concluded, and the FBI knew the report’s reach extended far beyond Richmond.

Wray did acknowledge that minor contributions had been made by other offices, stating that only a few sentences were included to describe individual cases and to confirm their accuracy with the respective teams. But Grassley argued that this explanation downplayed the broader scope of the collaboration.

Faith leaders voice concern about surveillance

The release of the memo’s distribution list has raised alarms among religious advocacy groups. CatholicVote co-founder Joshua Mercer described the findings as an affront to constitutional rights and called for immediate corrective action from federal law enforcement officials.

“This frontal assault on the First Amendment should horrify every American,” Mercer said. “It must never be allowed to happen again.”

He further urged the new FBI Director Kash Patel to make public any measures being taken to revoke what he called unconstitutional directives, discipline those responsible, and terminate any related monitoring programs targeting religious institutions.

FBI faces renewed pressure after leadership change

Kash Patel, who succeeded Wray as FBI director in early 2024, confronted questions about the memo during his January confirmation hearing. When asked by Sen. Josh Hawley if he would seek accountability within the agency, Patel said he would.

Since assuming leadership, Patel has been pressed by Grassley to release all internal documentation relating to the memo’s creation, revisions, and eventual withdrawal. The senator insists such transparency is necessary to restore trust in the agency’s handling of constitutionally protected beliefs.

Though the FBI previously characterized the Richmond Memo as a single, mistaken product quickly removed from its systems, Grassley’s findings appear to contradict that narrative—raising concerns about potential misrepresentation to both lawmakers and the public.

Wider policy questions emerge from investigation

At the center of the debate is the role that politically leaning sources like the SPLC played in shaping the FBI’s internal assessments. Critics argue that relying on ideologically driven groups could compromise the objectivity and neutrality expected of federal investigative bodies.

Grassley's office highlighted this concern in repeated correspondence, including a January 2024 letter requesting full disclosure of how the SPLC's data influenced federal assessments of faith communities. So far, no detailed explanation has been provided by the Bureau.

As scrutiny intensifies, both lawmakers and civil liberties advocates are calling on the FBI to ensure that future threat assessments are grounded in unbiased analysis that respects religious liberties and constitutional protections.