CV NEWS FEED // The FBI, now under the leadership of director Kash Patel, has provided Congress with critical documents related to allegations that federal law enforcement was weaponized for political purposes during the Biden administration.
The records were delivered following a subpoena issued by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who has been investigating what he describes as “the weaponization of federal law enforcement against the American people,” according to a March 18 report from Just the News.
Among the documents turned over were internal records related to former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s controversial 2021 directive instructing the FBI to investigate parents at school board meetings. The memo had sparked national outcry and concern that the federal government was treating concerned parents as potential threats for speaking out about their children’s education.
The FBI also provided materials regarding Richmond, Virginia, FBI field office’s now-retracted intelligence memo that linked so-called “radical-traditionalist Catholics” to violent extremism. The document raised alarms about potential government surveillance of religious communities.
Jordan and other lawmakers have pushed for answers to why federal law enforcement singled out faithful Catholics for scrutiny. The FBI later admitted that the memo did not “meet the exacting standards of the FBI” and removed it from circulation.
>> House Committee Releases Report on FBI’s Targeting of Catholics <<
Another major focus of the document release is the enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, under which the Biden administration’s Justice Department disproportionately targeted pro-life activists while failing to pursue violent attacks on churches and pregnancy resource centers.
The FBI disclosed that it had launched 55 FACE Act investigations since May 2022. A significant number related to pregnancy centers and pro-life groups — organizations that were frequently vandalized following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
According to Just the News, Jordan has sought these materials for years, but his efforts were met with resistance under former FBI Director Christopher Wray.
FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told Just the News that the FBI under Patel “was given a mandate to open up the books and engage in transparency efforts at levels never before seen – and our Congressional Affairs team is stepping up to the plate. We will continue to work diligently with Chairman Jordan and Chairman [Chuck] Grassley to ensure the American people get the information they deserve.”
In a February letter to Patel, Jordan had emphasized the need to rebuild trust in federal law enforcement, stating, “It is important that you succeed in restoring public confidence and creating much-needed transparency.”
In a statement to Just the News, Jordan’s spokesman, Russell Dye, expressed gratitude for Patel’s efforts and said they would possess more updates soon.