The U.S. Department of Justice’s Weaponization Working Group has released a report examining a controversial 2023 FBI assessment from the Richmond Field Office that associated certain conservative Catholic beliefs with domestic extremism.
According to the Justice Department, the internal assessment, known as the “Richmond Domain Perspective,” contributed to inquiries involving two Catholic priests and the surveillance of one of them.
The department said investigators ultimately found no link between the two priests and criminal activity or violent extremism.
What the DOJ report found
The report examines how the FBI’s Richmond Field Office developed and circulated the assessment during the previous administration.
The Justice Department said the document described what it considered a rise in domestic extremism among people holding conservative beliefs associated with a wide range of Catholics.
The Working Group said its review found that the FBI conducted extensive inquiries into two priests, including monitoring their travel and communications.
Despite those investigative activities, the FBI did not establish a connection between the priests and criminal activity or violent extremism, according to the DOJ report.
DOJ says FBI relied on flawed material
The Working Group also criticized the materials used in developing the Richmond assessment.
According to the Justice Department, FBI personnel relied on material that included publications from the Southern Poverty Law Center and foreign intelligence sources without adequately evaluating their credibility.
Internal reviews later determined that the assessment improperly blurred the distinction between religious doctrine and violent extremism, the department said.
Those reviews also raised concerns about the First Amendment implications of the FBI’s activities.
FBI leadership took limited corrective action, DOJ says
The report also examined what happened after concerns about the Richmond Domain Perspective emerged.
The Justice Department said FBI headquarters recognized problems with the assessment, but leadership took only limited corrective action.
According to the report, employees involved in producing the assessment continued to receive positive performance reviews, while Richmond leadership defended the work.
The Working Group further said staff continued refining the assessment even after it had been removed from FBI systems.
DOJ reviewed more than 1,800 pages
The Weaponization Working Group said it reviewed more than 1,800 pages of internal records while preparing its report.
The records included internal emails, assessments and investigative documents.
Attorney General Todd Blanche also granted a limited waiver of privileged materials to allow the public to examine underlying documents associated with the investigation.
The Justice Department said the review was conducted under the authority of Executive Order 14147, signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025.
The order directed the department to identify and address what the administration described as political weaponization within federal agencies.
DOJ says personnel involved are no longer with the department
The Justice Department said key FBI personnel responsible for the Richmond Domain Perspective have been removed from the department.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ would not tolerate government activity that chills constitutionally protected speech or religious activity.
“The individuals who developed the Richmond Domain Perspective are no longer with the Department,” Blanche said, adding that the Working Group’s investigation into alleged weaponization under the previous administration would continue.
FBI Director Kash Patel similarly said the bureau would not tolerate what he described as weaponization.
Patel said making information about the Richmond matter public was an important part of addressing what occurred and preventing similar conduct in the future.
Officials describe the case as a First Amendment concern
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said the Richmond matter demonstrated the risks of government agencies targeting beliefs because they are politically or religiously disfavored.
Woodward said the alleged conduct undermined public trust in institutions responsible for protecting Americans.
The Justice Department said its broader responsibility remains enforcing federal law consistently with the Constitution and protecting the civil rights of Americans.
The department also encouraged people who have concerns about similar conduct to come forward.
What the report means
The Richmond report does not simply examine an individual FBI investigation. It focuses on how an internal government assessment was developed, the sources used to support it, the investigative actions that followed and the response of FBI leadership after concerns were raised.
The DOJ’s central conclusion is that the 2023 Richmond assessment and related investigative activity were improper and unjustified, particularly because religious beliefs were allegedly conflated with violent extremism without sufficient evidence.
The department said the release of the report is part of its continuing effort to investigate and address what it considers abuses of federal authority under the previous administration.
The Weaponization Working Group said its broader review of alleged government weaponization will continue.
