GOP Senators Demand FBI Explain Deletion of Records on Memo Targeting ‘Radical’ Catholics

A group of 16 Republican U.S. senators is calling on the FBI to explain the decisions that led to the deletion of records connected to a since-retracted agency memo describing the FBI’s interest in investigating strains of “radical-traditionalist” Catholicism for potential ties to extremism. The FBI memo in question, which was produced by the agency’s Richmond Field Office, was divulged to the press last year before it was retracted last February. While the memo has been retracted, Republican lawmakers have continued to question the internal processes at the FBI that allowed for its creation in the first place. The Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, published a report on Dec. 5 that alleged FBI representatives indicated “all pre-existing information concerning the Richmond memorandum has been permanently deleted.” Despite this claimed deletion of records pre-dating the controversial Richmond Field Office memo, the Republican House report states FBI representatives have subsequently identified some relevant documents. Now, Senate Republicans are questioning whether FBI representatives offered misleading testimony or took “deficient” steps to provide the records lawmakers had sought....