WASHINGTON (AP) — Multiple FBI analysts who contributed to a 2023 intelligence memo warning of potential threats from Catholic 'violent extremists' were terminated on Friday, according to their attorney. This marks the latest round of dismissals under FBI Director Kash Patel, a loyalist of former President Donald Trump.
Details of the Firings
The terminated employees include four intelligence analysts and one supervisory analyst. Their lawyer, David Laufman, issued a statement condemning the action as 'manifestly unjust, completely unsupported by the facts, and subverts standard FBI policy and procedure.' He added that these individuals 'deserved far better for the exceptional and faithful public service they rendered to protect our country.' The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Background of the Memo
The January 2023 memo, produced by analysts in the FBI's Richmond, Virginia, field office, quickly became a political flashpoint. Republicans in Congress cited it as evidence that the FBI under the Biden administration targeted conservatives. Then-FBI Director Chris Wray denied these allegations, and the FBI stated that the document was swiftly retracted, with an internal review initiated. Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed being 'appalled' by the memo.
Earlier investigations by the Justice Department into the memo criticized the analytical tradecraft but found no intentional misconduct by the analysts. An internal FBI review, described in a 2023 letter to Congress, concluded that those involved 'failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards' and that the memo 'created the appearance that the FBI conducts investigative activity based on religious affiliation.' However, a 2024 report from the Justice Department's inspector general found 'no evidence of a malicious intent or an improper purpose.'
Broader Context
The firings are part of a larger personnel purge under Patel, who has pushed out dozens of employees perceived as disloyal to the administration's agenda. The Justice Department has also conducted sweeping firings of prosecutors since Trump took office. In February, the FBI terminated a group of counterintelligence agents involved in the investigation into Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
The Richmond memo originated from a domestic terrorism investigation and aimed to explore a potential link between what it termed 'Radical Traditionalist Catholic' ideology and racially or ethnically motivated extremists. It warned of potential violence and suggested 'new avenues for tripwire and source development.' FBI leadership quickly disavowed the findings once the memo became public.
MS NOW earlier reported the firings. Tucker reported from Los Angeles.
