FBI’s Wray Says Agents Weren’t Disciplined for Targeting Catholics Because It Wasn’t ‘Intentional’

HAWLEY Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ Director Wray thank you ░░░░░░░░ being here I noticed ░░░░░░░░ interest in your written ░░░░░░░░ that you said and ░░░░░░░░ m quoting you now ░░░░░░░░ FBI uses all tools ░░░░░░░░ at its disposal to ░░░░░░░░ domestic terrorism which now ░░░░░░░░ includes the crime of ░░░░░░░░ Catholic Let s talk ░░░░░░░░ little bit about the ░░░░░░░░ s egregious targeting of ░░░░░░░░ Americans You have repeatedly ░░░░░░░░ asked about the memo ░░░░░░░░ by the Richmond Field ░░░░░░░░ we now know in ░░░░░░░░ with multiple other field ░░░░░░░░ about recruiting sources in ░░░░░░░░ churches you have repeatedly ░░░░░░░░ that no human sources ░░░░░░░░ approached This is you ░░░░░░░░ July the 12th in ░░░░░░░░ House You were asked ░░░░░░░░ by Jim Jordan do ░░░░░░░░ think that priests ought ░░░░░░░░ be approached to give ░░░░░░░░ on parishioners You said ░░░░░░░░ sir No sir You ░░░░░░░░ on to say we ░░░░░░░░ not recruit open or ░░░░░░░░ human sources We do ░░░░░░░░ report on religious organizations ░░░░░░░░ went on to say ░░░░░░░░ product meaning the Richmond ░░░░░░░░ has not resulted in ░░░░░░░░ investigative action But now ░░░░░░░░ know that in fact ░░░░░░░░ agents did approach a ░░░░░░░░ and a choir director ░░░░░░░░ ask them to inform ░░░░░░░░ parishioners So were you ░░░░░░░░ too when you gave ░░░░░░░░ testimony or were you ░░░░░░░░ to Congress Wray Neither ░░░░░░░░ the your your question ░░░░░░░░ two different things There ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence product itself ░░░░░░░░ the Richmond Field Office ░░░░░░░░ it was written by ░░░░░░░░ our inspection found by ░░░░░░░░ in Richmond reviewed by ░░░░░░░░ in Richmond and captioned ░░░░░░░░ Field Office product Separately ░░░░░░░░ that there was an ░░░░░░░░ of a specific individual ░░░░░░░░ was amassing Molotov cocktails ░░░░░░░░ posting about killing people ░░░░░░░░ it does not surprise ░░░░░░░░ that there were people ░░░░░░░░ knew that subject in ░░░░░░░░ investigation that is the ░░░░░░░░ building the Molotov cocktails ░░░░░░░░ trying to kill people ░░░░░░░░ people talked to the ░░░░░░░░ who knew that person ░░░░░░░░ I think the product ░░░░░░░░ Richmond intelligence product which ░░░░░░░░ that investigation is actually ░░░░░░░░ transparent about exactly what ░░░░░░░░ just said HAWLEY No ░░░░░░░░ don t think so ░░░░░░░░ all In fact the ░░░░░░░░ reason we know this ░░░░░░░░ a whistleblower has come ░░░░░░░░ and told the House ░░░░░░░░ oath that the FBI ░░░░░░░░ and interviewed priests and ░░░░░░░░ directors in the Richmond ░░░░░░░░ The House goes on ░░░░░░░░ say that the FBI ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly refused to disclose ░░░░░░░░ information The only reason ░░░░░░░░ know it is because ░░░░░░░░ whistleblower came forward with ░░░░░░░░ Just like the only ░░░░░░░░ we know about this ░░░░░░░░ is because a whistleblower ░░░░░░░░ forward with it How ░░░░░░░░ other parishes around the ░░░░░░░░ had priests or choir ░░░░░░░░ have been approached By ░░░░░░░░ way are Catholic choirs ░░░░░░░░ are they are they ░░░░░░░░ grounds for domestic terrorism ░░░░░░░░ this is this your ░░░░░░░░ theory How many other ░░░░░░░░ have FBI agents approached ░░░░░░░░ and choir directors to ░░░░░░░░ about parishioners Wray Look ░░░░░░░░ we do not and ░░░░░░░░ not conduct investigations based ░░░░░░░░ anybody s exercise of ░░░░░░░░ constitutionaly protected religious HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ have done so And ░░░░░░░░ memo explicitly asks for ░░░░░░░░ Your memo labels traditional ░░░░░░░░ as racially and ethnically ░░░░░░░░ violent extremists in need ░░░░░░░░ investigation You have a ░░░░░░░░ of churches a list ░░░░░░░░ the memo you ve ░░░░░░░░ said we don t ░░░░░░░░ churches we don t ░░░░░░░░ churches They re listed ░░░░░░░░ the memo So how ░░░░░░░░ other parishes have you ░░░░░░░░ to to talk to ░░░░░░░░ directors for heaven s ░░░░░░░░ Wray As I ve ░░░░░░░░ HAWLEY Do you know ░░░░░░░░ answer to that question ░░░░░░░░ No I don t ░░░░░░░░ the answer to that ░░░░░░░░ But I can tell ░░░░░░░░ that we don t ░░░░░░░░ people for their exercise ░░░░░░░░ their constantly protected constitutionally ░░░░░░░░ religious expressions The particular ░░░░░░░░ product is something that ░░░░░░░░ soon as I saw ░░░░░░░░ I was aghast I ░░░░░░░░ it withdrawn HAWLEY You ░░░░░░░░ aghast Wray I was ░░░░░░░░ Oh really Wray Yes ░░░░░░░░ HAWLEY And what have ░░░░░░░░ done about it Did ░░░░░░░░ fire the people who ░░░░░░░░ it Wray No I ░░░░░░░░ it withdrawn HAWLEY Have ░░░░░░░░ fired anybody involved in ░░░░░░░░ Senator if you would ░░░░░░░░ me a chance to ░░░░░░░░ to your question HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ s a yes or ░░░░░░░░ no it s not ░░░░░░░░ Have you fired anyone ░░░░░░░░ in the writing of ░░░░░░░░ outrageous memo about which ░░░░░░░░ you ve repeatedly misled ░░░░░░░░ public Yes or no ░░░░░░░░ The individuals involved in ░░░░░░░░ product were not HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ you fired anyone Wray ░░░░░░░░ a minute were not ░░░░░░░░ to have engaged in ░░░░░░░░ intentional or bad faith ░░░░░░░░ And in fact in ░░░░░░░░ senator a number of ░░░░░░░░ individuals involved HAWLEY So ░░░░░░░░ answer is no Wray ░░░░░░░░ number of the individuals ░░░░░░░░ in writing that product ░░░░░░░░ the Richmond office were ░░░░░░░░ Catholics So the notion ░░░░░░░░ they were targeting their ░░░░░░░░ faith is nonsense HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ oh they have a ░░░░░░░░ out of jail free ░░░░░░░░ I see I see ░░░░░░░░ you re immune and ░░░░░░░░ re immune Wray They ░░░░░░░░ did not say that ░░░░░░░░ So we shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ questions about it You ░░░░░░░░ t done a darn ░░░░░░░░ You haven t fired ░░░░░░░░ In fact what the ░░░░░░░░ found is what is ░░░░░░░░ You you admonished them ░░░░░░░░ were admonished and their ░░░░░░░░ supervisors were told to ░░░░░░░░ with the Human Resources ░░░░░░░░ to ensure that deficiencies ░░░░░░░░ addressed Oh I feel ░░░░░░░░ better They ve been ░░░░░░░░ to bed without food ░░░░░░░░ heavens director This is ░░░░░░░░ of the most outrageous ░░░░░░░░ You have mobilized your ░░░░░░░░ the most powerful law ░░░░░░░░ division in the world ░░░░░░░░ traditionalist Catholics whatever the ░░░░░░░░ that means and you ░░░░░░░░ just told us you ░░░░░░░░ have not fired a ░░░░░░░░ person Here it gets ░░░░░░░░ Your Richmond Field Office ░░░░░░░░ thought there was nothing ░░░░░░░░ with this The House ░░░░░░░░ the head of the ░░░░░░░░ Field office He testified ░░░░░░░░ s all here in ░░░░░░░░ public report I refer ░░░░░░░░ to it pages 12 ░░░░░░░░ 14 He testified he ░░░░░░░░ no problem with this ░░░░░░░░ said he thought it ░░░░░░░░ fine In fact we ░░░░░░░░ internal memoranda of the ░░░░░░░░ of the field office ░░░░░░░░ fiving One peer reviewer ░░░░░░░░ member of the field ░░░░░░░░ wrote I think this ░░░░░░░░ a great product I ░░░░░░░░ enjoyed the read Do ░░░░░░░░ have a problem with ░░░░░░░░ bigotry against Catholics in ░░░░░░░░ FBI Wray No HAWLEY ░░░░░░░░ are you going to ░░░░░░░░ about this Are you ░░░░░░░░ to fire these people ░░░░░░░░ not Wray Those individuals ░░░░░░░░ all been admonished and ░░░░░░░░ is all going into ░░░░░░░░ HAWLEY Admonished Wray if ░░░░░░░░ would let me finish ░░░░░░░░ answer it is all ░░░░░░░░ into their annual performance ░░░░░░░░ It has direct impact ░░░░░░░░ their compensation among other ░░░░░░░░ HAWLEY Oh I see ░░░░░░░░ I see I see ░░░░░░░░ the 60 million American ░░░░░░░░ who we now who ░░░░░░░░ learn that your FBI ░░░░░░░░ recommended that priests be ░░░░░░░░ as informants your FBI ░░░░░░░░ gone to priests choir ░░░░░░░░ but were to feel ░░░░░░░░ because you ve admonished ░░░░░░░░ for their wrongdoings Wray ░░░░░░░░ again are conflating two ░░░░░░░░ things When we are ░░░░░░░░ No I am not ░░░░░░░░ am taking your testimony ░░░░░░░░ you said you do ░░░░░░░░ you said categorically categorically ░░░░░░░░ said we do not ░░░░░░░░ do not go to ░░░░░░░░ and ask them about ░░░░░░░░ parishioners You said we ░░░░░░░░ not you didn t ░░░░░░░░ we haven t you ░░░░░░░░ t say we won ░░░░░░░░ you said we don ░░░░░░░░ It turns out you ░░░░░░░░ And you kept it ░░░░░░░░ the public You deliberately ░░░░░░░░ Congress about it And ░░░░░░░░ only reason we know ░░░░░░░░ it is because a ░░░░░░░░ came forward That s ░░░░░░░░ truth Wray I just ░░░░░░░░ s fundamentally disagree with ░░░░░░░░ characterization HAWLEY Well there ░░░░░░░░ no characterization The facts ░░░░░░░░ the facts And I ░░░░░░░░ resent the fact that ░░░░░░░░ have violated if not ░░░░░░░░ spirit if not the ░░░░░░░░ certainly the spirit of ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment and use ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement agency against ░░░░░░░░ in this nation.”