FBI fires several analysts tied to disputed ‘Catholic ideology’ memo
Firings are part of a broader personnel purge under the leadership of director Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist
TL;DR
- Four intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst tied to a 2023 FBI memo about Catholic "violent extremists" have been fired.
- The memo, produced by the FBI's Richmond field office, sought to examine potential links between "Radical Traditionalist Catholic" ideology and racially/ethnically motivated extremists.
- The memo became a political issue, with critics claiming it showed the FBI targeting conservatives.
- FBI leadership quickly condemned the memo's findings, and an internal review found analysts failed to adhere to tradecraft standards and erroneously equated religious interest with extremist ideology.
- The firings are described as part of a broader personnel purge under FBI Director Kash Patel, a Donald Trump loyalist.