A DOJ report reveals that the FBI under Biden investigated Catholic priests for 'extremism' based on their beliefs

The Department of Justice (DOJ) published a report in which it concludes that, during the previous administration, an FBI field office in Richmond engaged in "inappropriate and unwarranted" investigative and intelligence activities by linking certain beliefs held by conservative Catholics to domestic extremism.

The report, prepared by the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group, focuses on an internal document known as Richmond Domain Perspective, which described an alleged rise in domestic extremism among individuals holding conservative views associated with various sectors of Catholicism.

According to the Department of Justice, FBI agents conducted investigations into two Catholic priests, including monitoring their travel and communications. The investigation, according to the report, ultimately found no links to criminal activity or violent extremism.

The DOJ also contends that the FBI used materials considered biased or unverified, including publications from the Southern Poverty Law Center and foreign intelligence materials, without adequately assessing their credibility. Subsequent internal reviews concluded that the document had improperly conflated religious doctrine with violent extremism and had ignored First Amendment concerns.

The report further notes that, although officials at FBI headquarters acknowledged problems with the document, few corrective measures were taken. According to the DOJ, some of the employees involved received positive performance evaluations, and officials at the Richmond field office publicly defended their work. Staff continued to work on the document even after it was removed from the FBI's systems.

The Department of Justice stated that it reviewed more than 1,800 pages of internal documents, including emails, performance evaluations, and investigation records. It also noted that Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized a limited waiver of material protected by privilege to allow the public to examine the underlying documents.