Tipsheet

FBI Director Wray Hit Hard for Bureau's Targeting of Catholics and Pro-Lifers

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  July 13, 2023 2:00 PM

On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, during which the targeting of Catholics and pro-lifers was addressed, and the exchanges about the matter made for particularly passionate moments. 

Early on, Wray brought up the targeting of pro-lifers, but not by his own agency. When giving examples of domestic violent extremism that the FBI is focused on, Wray mentioned, "Of course, recently we've had a lot of violent extremism against pro-life facilities, and we're investigating those."

These acts of violence came up later, as well, when Wray offered, "I'd be remiss if I didn't also point out that there has been a pretty significant uptick in violence on the other way, uh, since the Dobbs decision, and, in fact, most of the investigations that we've opened since the Dobbs decision, probably about 70 percent of them, have been against pro-life facilities." 

From Wray's comments alone, one would think that the bureau is dedicated to competently protecting pro-lifers. One might not know that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has given sweetheart deals to pro-abortion extremists or that the DOJ was slow to protect U.S. Supreme Court justices after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision leaked last year. Protesters were even allowed to violate federal law by protesting outside the homes of these justices. 

The Family Research Council compiled a list showing that, as of May, 130 pro-life organizations have been targeted. According to CatholicVote, as of this Thursday, over 300 Catholic Churches have been attacked. A report from the Crime Prevention Resource Center released last October showed that there were 135 incidents against pro-lifers from May 3 to September 24 and six against the other side. 

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CatholicVote's President Brian Burch reacted to Wray's comments in a statement to Townhall.

"After months and months of pressure from CatholicVote and others, Wray has finally admitted under oath pro-life Americans are under siege from pro-abortion radicals," he said. "It's unclear why it took so long for the FBI to admit this obvious fact, but the real question now is what will be done to put a stop to the violence. We will not let up the pressure until Catholics and pro-life Americans can worship and serve the vulnerable in peace."

It's not merely how pro-lifers and Catholic Churches are protected – or not protected – that's been an issue.

Expanding upon comments he made in his opening statement, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) brought up the bureau's targeting of the faith group in the country, which over 60 million people subscribe to. Wray looked foolish when he couldn't define "radical, traditional Catholics," despite how the FBI wrote a memo about such Catholics with a plan to infiltrate them. 

Wray quickly tried to wash his hands of the memo. "Well, what I can tell you," he offered, "is that you're referring to the Richmond product, which was a single product by a single field office, which, as soon as I found out about it, I was aghast and ordered it withdrawn and removed from FBI systems."

As Wray kept trying to repeat that he saw the product as problematic, Jordan read from the memo. 

"'Provide new opportunities to mitigate extremist threat through outreach to traditional Catholic parishes and the development of sources with the placement and access to report on places of worship,'" Jordan read from the memo. "That's pretty fancy language for they're trying to put informants in the parish, in the church," Jordan said. "That's what this memorandum said, director, from one of your field offices, and you won't let us talk to the people who did it."

When speaking to Wray about the document, Jordan made clear he didn't need an internal review, something Wray insisted he needed before speaking to motivation. 

"Well, I don't need an internal review. I can read the document," Jordan pointed out. "I assume you can do the same! Because it says right there on the same page, 'Richmond assesses extremist interest in radical traditional Catholics is likely to increase over the next 12 to 24 months in the run-up to the next general election.' Same paragraph: 'Events in which extremists and radical traditional Catholics might have common cause include legislation, judicial decisions in such areas as abortion rights, immigration, affirmative action, and LGBTQ protections.'" 

"It's politics! That's the motivation... it's total politics! Politics was the total motivation here," Jordan emphasized, adding it's "scary" and "frightening." 

"Five people signed off on it. Five people, including the chief division counsel at the Richmond Field Office," Jordan reminded about the memo Wray sought to downplay.

Wray's flailing on the damning memo isn't unique to him or Wednesday's hearing. Attorney General Merrick Garland had also tried to downplay the matter. 

The DOJ has been overall cagey and is now facing a lawsuit from CatholicVote and Judicial Watch. 

Perhaps the most explosive part of the hearing on this matter came during Rep. Chip Roy's (R-TX) questioning of the FBI director about the raid of the home of Mark Houck, a pro-life husband and father of seven children, over charges that he allegedly violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which he was later found not guilty of. This is after local prosecutors had investigated the matter and not brought charges. 

Further, Houck's lawyer had already said that his client would appear voluntarily to surrender himself. Wray tried to wash his hands of the matter, though, saying he deferred to local agents in Philadelphia. When directly asked by Roy if he approved of the raid, Wray merely insisted he was "not going to second guess the judgment of the career agents on the ground who made that determination."

"Your job is to second guess and look at what they are doing. Your job is to review what they do. Your job is to protect the American people from a tyrannical FBI storming the home of an American family," Roy reminded the director. 

Wray got testy with the congressman, declaring, "I could not disagree more with your description of the FBI as 'tyrannical!'" Although Roy's time had expired, Jordan allowed Wray to answer. "They did not storm his house," Wray claimed. "They came to his door, they knocked on his door, they identified themselves, they asked him to exit, he did, without incident." 

The testimony of Houck and his wife, Ryan-Marie, would say otherwise, as they have shared many times in telling their story. And, as Mia has covered, Houck isn't the only pro-life activist who's been targeted by the weaponized government.

The Texas congressman continued to speak truth to power during his Fox News appearance on Thursday's edition of "The Faulkner Focus." 

After offering his support for FBI agents, Roy said, "I'm tired of people like Director Wray and the Attorney General of the United States hiding behind the line FBI agents when we're trying to criticize the so-called leadership of the FBI and the DOJ." 

After recapping Wray's offense, Roy sarcastically declared, "Oh, I'm sorry, Director Wray. Did I offend your sensibilities, sir?" He also said, "I can tell you, it's the American people who are offended. It's the American people who are sick and tired of it!" 

As strong as his words were, Roy pointed out that the American people "also want to see more than just words from Republicans," offering, "I think we need to use the power of the purse, and we need to use our powers in Congress to try to get the reforms necessary to FBI and DOJ."