DOJ Report Details How Feds Monitored Christians

A Justice Department task force says the Biden administration took an aggressive approach toward Christians with traditional religious views, at times putting them in a position where following their beliefs could conflict with federal policy.

The findings come from a 200-page report released Thursday by the DOJ’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. The group outlined 14 conclusions, arguing that while private religious beliefs were generally left alone, actions tied to those beliefs were often met with scrutiny or enforcement. In its summary, the task force said officials “zealously” pursued cases that limited how some Christians could practice their faith in public life.

One area the report highlights is the prosecution of activists under a federal law governing access to abortion clinics and pregnancy resource centers. According to the task force, some pro-life defendants received harsher penalties than others charged under the same statute, raising concerns about uneven enforcement.

The report also revisits a controversial FBI memo from early 2023 that suggested monitoring certain “radical-traditionalist” Catholic groups. That document, first produced by the bureau’s Richmond, Virginia field office, leaned in part on information from the Southern Poverty Law Center. It was later withdrawn after drawing criticism from lawmakers and internal review.

New details in the report describe how that memo played out on the ground. Investigators were initially looking into a man later convicted of possessing explosive devices. During the case, agents learned he had attended a Catholic chapel associated with traditionalist practices. Based on that connection and his own statements about his beliefs, agents attempted to gather information about the church, its clergy, and related organizations.

The task force said those steps went beyond the scope of the original investigation. It noted that the church itself was not tied to the suspect’s criminal activity, yet a formal law enforcement profile was still created. When a priest declined to cooperate without legal counsel, agents viewed that response with suspicion and used it to justify additional inquiry, according to the report.

The FBI’s leadership publicly distanced itself from the memo at the time. Then-Director Christopher Wray called it “appalling” during congressional testimony and said it did not lead to broader investigative action. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland also criticized the document.