A memo targeting traditional Catholics was far more widely shared within the FBI than previously admitted, and new records directly contradict former Director Wray’s testimony to Congress.
Key Facts:
- Sen. Chuck Grassley released new documents showing the FBI’s Richmond memo was sent to over 1,000 employees.
- At least 13 other documents and five attachments used anti-Catholic language and drew from Southern Poverty Law Center materials.
- Grassley revealed a second FBI memo prepared for bureau-wide release that was withheld after public backlash.
- Whistleblower Kyle Seraphin exposed the original Richmond memo in February 2023, prompting a congressional probe.
- Grassley accuses former FBI Director Christopher Wray of misleading Congress about the extent of the memo’s distribution.
The Rest of The Story:
The FBI’s now-infamous Richmond memo, which linked traditional Catholic beliefs to violent extremism, was far more widely circulated than previously acknowledged.
New records released by Sen. Chuck Grassley show that the memo went out to more than 1,000 FBI staff members across the country—contradicting the sworn testimony of former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who claimed it was a single localized product.
Grassley’s office says the FBI also produced at least 13 related documents and five attachments that included similar anti-Catholic rhetoric, using materials from the Southern Poverty Law Center as part of its guidance.
A second, bureau-wide version of the Richmond memo was drafted but never distributed due to the uproar following the first leak.
Grassley is now calling on current FBI Director Kash Patel to continue releasing internal communications surrounding the memo.
“I’m determined to get to the bottom of the Richmond memo, and of the FBI’s contempt for oversight in the last administration,” Grassley stated.
I released FBI records showing anti-Catholic Richmond Memo was WIDELY distributed to 1000+ FBI employees& FBI produced at least 13 docs+5 attchmnts w similar anti-Catholic bias Biden Admin targeting of churchgoers went deeper than we 1st knew UNACCEPTABLE Appears Wray lied 2cong
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) June 3, 2025
Commentary:
There’s no getting around it: this is a clear case of government officials trying to dodge accountability.
Former Director Wray told Congress there was only one memo, quietly crafted in a single field office.
Now we know that was false.
Over a thousand FBI employees received the memo, and there was even a second version ready for national release.
That’s not a rogue agent; that’s a coordinated internal effort.
Lying to Congress is a federal crime.
If Wray knowingly gave false testimony to cover up this operation, he must be held accountable under the same laws the rest of us are expected to follow.
The public can’t be expected to trust a justice system that turns a blind eye when top officials bend or break the law to protect themselves.
This is about more than paperwork or memos.
It’s about using the immense power of the federal government to smear people of faith—traditional Catholics in this case—as potential threats.
That’s not law enforcement. That’s political profiling.
There needs to be a reckoning for what happened here.
Anyone still working at the FBI who was involved in drafting, approving, or circulating these documents should be removed from their position.
No taxpayer should be forced to fund federal employees who use their roles to target Americans based on religious beliefs.
The Richmond memo episode isn’t a one-off. It reflects a dangerous culture of impunity where elite officials assume they can act without consequences.
But if this country is going to restore trust in its institutions, that has to change—and it starts with real consequences.
The American people are tired of seeing double standards in Washington.
When citizens lie under oath, they’re prosecuted.
When officials like Wray do it? So far, they walk free.
That can’t continue.
It’s time for indictments. It’s time for trials.
And it’s time for a justice system that finally lives up to its name.
The Bottom Line:
New evidence reveals the FBI’s Richmond memo targeting Catholics was far more widely shared than previously disclosed.
Former Director Wray’s congressional testimony doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Lawmakers are demanding answers, and the public deserves accountability.
If laws were broken, prosecutions must follow—no exceptions.
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