The documents were obtained last month by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. The FBI planned to use churches as "new avenues for tripwire and source development," with a specific focus on "mainline Catholic parishes."
Additionally, the agency cited a desire to sensitize religious congregations "to the warning signs of radicalization and enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires."
April 11, 2023
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Jordan wrote, "Based on the limited information produced by the FBI to the Committee, we now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis and that the FBI proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith."
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The Committee issued a subpoena for related documents that the FBI has yet to provide.
"The documents produced to date show how the FBI sought to enlist Catholic houses of worship as potential sources to monitor and report on their parishioners," Jordan wrote. "Americans attend church to worship and congregate for their spiritual and personal betterment.
They must be free to exercise their fundamental First Amendment rights without worrying that the FBI may have planted so-called 'tripwire' sources or other informants in their houses of worship."
The initial request for documents from the FBI was made on Feb. 16 by Jordan and Johnson. The FBI did not respond, leading to a follow-up request on March 20, with the 18-page document being provided three days later.
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In response to the subpoena, the FBI released a statement that said, "The FBI recognizes the importance of congressional oversight and remains fully committed to cooperating with Congress’s oversight requests consistent with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities."
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FBI Director Wray has previously said that he was "aghast" when he saw reports about the FBI targeting Catholics, and that the agency does not conduct investigations based on religious affiliation or practices. The inspection division has been ordered to investigate further and ensure such an incident will not happen again.
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