{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-slams-director-wray-fbis-targeting-catholic-americans-violent-extremists/", "Hawley Slams Director Wray on FBI\u2019s Targeting of Catholic Americans as \u2018Violent Extremists\u2019", "2023-12-05", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Josh Hawley", "H001089", "www.hawley.senate.gov", "hawley", "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Today in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray on the FBI\u2019s targeting of traditionalist Catholics. Senator Hawley discussed a report issued by the House Judiciary Committee revealing a memo outlining the weaponization of the FBI against Catholics, and repeatedly demanded that Director Wray hold accountable the individuals involved.\n\n\u201cNow we know that in fact, FBI agents did approach a priest and a choir director to ask them to inform on parishioners [\u2026] Good heavens, Director, this is one of the most outrageous targetings \u2013 you have mobilized your division, the most powerful law enforcement division in the world, against traditionalist Catholics,\u201d said Senator Hawley.\n\nHe continued, \u201cyour memo labels traditional Catholics as racially, and ethnically, motivated violent extremists in need of investigation [\u2026] You have repeatedly said \u2018we don\u2019t target churches, we don\u2019t list churches,\u2019 [but] they\u2019re listed in the memo.\u201d\n\nSenator Hawley has previously called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for answers on the FBI\u2019s targeting and subsequent arrests of people of faith, particularly Catholics.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:56:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-slams-director-wray-fbis-targeting-catholic-americans-violent-extremists/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8804961107671261, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}