Key facts
- Five FBI analysts were fired after drafting a controversial memo targeting "radical-traditionalist Catholics".
- The memo, issued in January 2023, cited Southern Poverty Law Center information.
- The FBI stated the memo was drafted in error and quickly retracted.
- The memo emerged during an investigation into Xavier Lopez, a schizophrenic man arrested on domestic extremism charges.
- Records indicate Lopez was interested in attending the church to find a girlfriend, not for ideological reasons.
Five FBI analysts, including a supervisory analyst, were terminated on Friday following their involvement in drafting a January 2023 intelligence memo that identified "radical-traditionalist Catholics" as potential violent domestic extremists. The memo, which utilized information from the Southern Poverty Law Center, was quickly disavowed by the FBI, with then-Director Chris Wray stating it was drafted in error and an internal review was launched. Attorney General Merrick Garland also expressed his disapproval of the document.
The creation of the memo is linked to an investigation into Xavier Lopez, a 24-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia, who was arrested in November 2022 on domestic extremism-related charges. Records show Lopez had been on law enforcement's radar since 2018. In early 2022, he began attending Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel in Richmond, Virginia, which was listed in the FBI memo. The FBI deployed an informant to monitor Lopez at the church, stating it was the only opportunity to establish contact. According to a DOJ Inspector General's report, analysts sought to identify warning signs of radicalization. While the memo suggested a potential link between white supremacist ideology and attraction to certain religious groups, including Our Lady of Fatima, analysts acknowledged a lack of definitive substantiation. One analyst noted Lopez's prior status as an "unstable, dangerous individual" predated any association with Catholic entities. Records from Lopez's case suggest his interest in the church may have been to find a girlfriend, with one August 2022 post on Gab indicating he was looking for a partner.
The FBI declined to comment on the firings.