“Anti-Catholic bigotry appears to be festering in the FBI, and the Bureau is treating Catholics as potential terrorists because of their beliefs.” This startling charge was leveled by 20 state attorneys general in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, after a memo from the FBI’s Richmond field office came to light.

The memo was withdrawn amid a storm of criticism, but it warned of extremists being drawn into “radical-traditionalist” Roman Catholic organizations known primarily for their love of the Latin Mass.

This is an urgent opportunity for Wray to address the growing distrust of the FBI. He must know blanket denials of partisan behavior by the bureau’s staff won’t convince much of the country. 

Quality control has obviously slipped, and Wray must firmly and forcefully bring hammers down on those ideological outliers and political partisans operating inside the bureau. 

They may not be many, but they're doing immense damage. 

Congress should give Wray the power to do just that.

The erosion of trust in the FBI is at a crisis level—and Director Wray must do more than express regret.