Spanberger appoints FBI agent linked to memo on 'radical' Catholics to public safety post
Virginia Democrat governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has appointed the Federal Bureau of Investigation agent whose office released a memo many considered anti-Catholic to a post in her administration.
Last week, Spanberger announced the appointment of veteran law enforcement official Stanley Meador as Virginia's secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
"As a former federal law enforcement officer, I know that this success requires leaders who know how to collaborate with communities and law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth amid an ever-evolving threat landscape," stated Spanberger.
"Meador's decades of service to our country and our Commonwealth will bring the expertise necessary to protect our citizens, support the brave men and women of law enforcement, and make sure Virginia is a place where every Virginian can safely thrive."
Meader, who earned a "Declaration of Valor" award for his response to the Pentagon attack on Sept. 11, 2001, served as special agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office beginning in 2021.
During his tenure, the Richmond office released a controversial memo linking "radical-traditionalist Catholic" individuals to violent extremism.
The memo cited the far-left civil rights advocacy organization Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization known for vilifying conservative Christian organizations, as an authoritative source.
In June, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley reported that the memo was sent to over 1,000 FBI employees across the United States before a whistleblower made it public.
"I'm determined to get to the bottom of the Richmond memo, and of the FBI's contempt for oversight in the last administration," Grassley wrote in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel.
"I look forward to continuing to work with you to restore the FBI to excellence and prove once again that justice can and must be fairly and evenly administered, blind to whether we are Democrats or Republicans, believers or nonbelievers."
After the document was leaked and sparked backlash, the memo was officially withdrawn, and an investigation was launched.
The FBI Inspection Division concluded that the Richmond office "had inappropriately considered religious beliefs and affiliation as a basis for conducting investigative activity" and it "reflected a lack of training and awareness concerning proper domestic terrorism terminology," according to a DOJ Office of the Inspector General report from April 2024.
Additionally, the report found that "the employees involved in drafting, editing, and reviewing the Richmond DP failed to adhere to FBI standards."
"The INSD report found that although there was no evidence of malicious intent or an improper purpose, the Richmond DP failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and evinced errors in professional judgment," stated the DOJ.
Meador was placed on administrative leave earlier this year, as part of broader changes within the FBI rank and file that critics allege were politically motivated actions by the Trump administration.
Last month, Spanberger was elected the first female governor of Virginia, defeating Republican challenger and Virginia Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger will be succeeding Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who, per state law, could not run for reelection.
