Several FBI analysts involved in the creation of a 2023 memo about potential threats from Catholic “violent extremists” have been dismissed, according to their lawyer. These dismissals are part of a larger personnel purge by FBI Director Kash Patel.
The terminated employees include four intelligence analysts and one supervisory analyst. The FBI has chosen not to comment on these firings.
“This action is manifestly unjust, completely unsupported by the facts, and subverts standard FBI policy and procedure,” stated their lawyer, David Laufman.
The January 2023 intelligence report originated from the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, field office and caused political controversy. Republicans in Congress cited the memo while accusing the FBI of targeting conservatives during the Biden administration. Former FBI Director Chris Wray denied these claims, stating the memo was retracted quickly and was subjected to an internal review.
Attorney General Merrick Garland from the Biden administration expressed strong disapproval of the memo.
Previous investigations by the Justice Department into the memo questioned the analysts’ methods but found no intentional misconduct. The dismissals are part of a series of firings under Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist, who has removed numerous employees, particularly those involved in investigations related to President Trump or perceived as misaligned with his administration’s agenda.
Earlier this year, counterintelligence agents involved in investigating President Trump for retaining classified documents at Mar-a-Lago were also dismissed.
The Richmond memo, resulting from a domestic terrorism investigation, examined possible connections between “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” ideology and racially or ethnically motivated extremists. It suggested potential violence and mentioned “new avenues for tripwire and source development.” FBI leadership rebuked the findings when the memo became public.
An internal FBI review shared in a 2023 letter to Congress, based on interviews with 26 people, found shortcomings in adhering to analytic tradecraft standards. The review criticized linking religious views with racially motivated violent extremism without clear evidence, which misrepresented FBI practices regarding investigations based solely on religious affiliation.
The FBI letter emphasized that investigative actions should not be based solely on First Amendment activities.
A 2024 report by the Justice Department’s inspector general noted deviations from analytic standards in the memo’s production but found no malicious intent or improper purposes.
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