Young, Colleagues Demand “Coherent and Complete Response” On Anti-Catholic FBI Memo

WASHINGTON – Upon discovering new details and discrepancies surrounding an anti-Catholic memo prepared by analysts in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond, Virginia field office, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to the FBI pushing for answers.

In the letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the senators scrutinized revelations that top FBI officials ordered analysts to permanently delete files related to the internal memo. Any document destruction would hinder the FBI’s already insufficient internal investigation and obstruct congressional oversight.

The senators also pressed Director Wray about the accuracy of his congressional testimony that the memo was “a single product by a single field office.” This statement conflicts with information the FBI has since provided to members of Congress, which confirmed not only that multiple field offices contributed to the memo, but also, that an analyst responsible for the first anti-Catholic memo prepared a second one for distribution to the entire FBI.

For months, the FBI used its ongoing internal review of the document as an excuse to shirk congressional oversight. Now that the review has concluded, senators are concerned about its narrow scope. In their letter, the senators outline necessary actions and thorough review procedures the FBI must take to foster needed transparency and accountability. 

In addition to Senators Young and Grassley, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also joined the letter.

Full text of the letter is available here.