FBI Analysts Dismissed Over Controversial Memo

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four FBI intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst were dismissed on Friday. This is linked to a controversial 2023 memo warning of potential threats from Catholic violent extremists. Their lawyer, David Laufman, criticized the firings, calling them unjust and unsupported by facts.

The dismissed analysts had worked on an intelligence product from the Richmond, Virginia, field office. Released in early 2023, it became a political issue with Republicans accusing the FBI of targeting conservatives. Then-director Chris Wray denied these accusations, and the FBI retracted the document and began an internal review.

Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed his disapproval of the memo. Earlier investigations by the Justice Department found flaws in analytical methods but no intentional misconduct by the analysts. The memo linked Radical Traditionalist Catholic ideology to racially and ethnically motivated extremism, a claim quickly denounced by FBI leadership after public release.

The firings are part of a broader personnel shift under director Kash Patel, who has dismissed many FBI employees perceived as misaligned with the administration’s agenda. This included firing counterintelligence agents involved in the investigation of former President Trump’s retention of classified documents.

An internal review shared with Congress revealed failures in adhering to analytical standards and proper terminology. It suggested the memo mistakenly associated religious beliefs with violent extremism without adequate evidence. A 2024 Justice Department report confirmed errors in the analytic process but found no evidence of malicious intent.