A Washington-based government transparency group, the Oversight Project, has called on the Justice Department and FBI to launch a criminal investigation into FBI Director Christopher Wray. The group alleges Wray gave false testimony to Congress and obstructed federal investigations related to anti-Catholic bias and Chinese election interference.
Oversight Project President Mike Howell claims Wray misled lawmakers about the FBI’s “Richmond memo,” a controversial document that associated traditional Catholics with domestic extremism. During July 2023 congressional testimony, Wray stated the memo originated from a single FBI field office and was quickly withdrawn once he became aware of it. However, recent evidence, including comments from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), indicates that over a dozen related documents existed and had circulated through multiple field offices.
The Oversight Project argues that Wray’s testimony was incomplete and deceptive because it omitted the existence of a second, unreleased Richmond memo and failed to disclose the broader internal distribution of anti-Catholic content. These omissions, the group claims, could amount to perjury and obstruction of congressional proceedings. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) challenged Wray’s characterization of these instances as isolated, suggesting a recurring pattern of political bias within the FBI.
The group also alleges Wray gave misleading testimony about a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operation to interfere in the 2020 election by distributing fake driver’s licenses intended to benefit Joe Biden. Although Wray testified in 2020 that the FBI had not observed any coordinated voter fraud, newly released documents suggest the agency had knowledge of China’s interference months earlier.
Citing these discrepancies, the Oversight Project has formally requested a criminal investigation into Wray for providing false statements, perjury, and obstructing Congress. The group argues that such actions not only misled lawmakers but also undermined critical investigations and public trust in federal law enforcement.
