FBI fires analysts who worked on memo about Catholic extremist ideology

Politics FBI fires analysts who worked on "Richmond memo" about Catholic extremist ideology, sources say By Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch June 5, 2026 / 5:56 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The FBI has fired at least five analysts who were involved in the creation of a withdrawn internal 2023 intelligence memo on "Radical Traditionalist Catholic" ideology that drew the ire of President Trump's allies, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.The analysts' firings were reported earlier by MS Now. The FBI declined to comment on the firings.The so-called "Richmond Memo," which was a product of the FBI's Richmond field office, explored links between ethnically motivated extremists and radical Catholic views. An internal investigation of the memo, which was withdrawn under former FBI Director Chris Wray, determined there was no evidence of malicious intent by those who drafted it, but found that it failed to adhere to proper standards and contained some errors in professional judgment.As a result of the internal review, the FBI instituted a number of corrective actions to bolster approval processes for intelligence products. The employees involved were also admonished.A separate review by the Justice Department's then-inspector general also did not find any evidence that anyone had ordered or directed the analysts to find linkages between violent extremists and certain religions. There was also no evidence to suggest that the analysts made any discriminatory or inappropriate comments, the inspector general found. Nevertheless, the missteps over the memo have long been a focal point of Mr. Trump's allies, who have said it represents evidence of bias against Christians with conservative values.The memo was featured in a report released earlier this year by the Task Force to Eradica...