A prominent government-transparency watchdog is demanding that former FBI Director Christopher Wray face a criminal investigation for allegedly lying under oath and obstructing federal oversight. The Oversight Project, a transparency initiative based in Washington, D.C., has filed a formal referral with the Department of Justice and the FBI, citing serious concerns over Wray’s congressional testimony related to two explosive issues: anti-Catholic bias within the FBI and Chinese interference in the 2020 election.

Oversight Project President Mike Howell told Fox News Digital that Wray misled lawmakers about the notorious “Richmond memo,” a document from the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia field office that shockingly portrayed traditional Catholics as potential domestic extremists. Additionally, Wray is being scrutinized for what critics say was deceptive testimony regarding Chinese Communist Party (CCP) efforts to flood the United States with fraudulent driver’s licenses prior to the 2020 election.

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in July 2023, Wray downplayed the memo’s significance, claiming:

“Well, what I can tell you is you’re referring to the Richmond product, which is a single product by a single field office, which, as soon as I found out about it, I was aghast and ordered it withdrawn and removed from FBI systems.”

But the Oversight Project isn't buying it. The group says that testimony was, at best, misleading — and at worst, flat-out false.

Representative Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) pressed Wray during the hearing, tying the Richmond memo to other ideological vetting within the Bureau — including a reported "Trump questionnaire" that probed FBI agents’ political leanings and participation in rallies supporting then-President Trump.

“We keep hearing about these ‘isolated examples’ whether it’s Richmond Catholics, this [questionnaire] — isn’t it a pattern?” Tiffany asked.

According to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the problem wasn’t isolated at all. Citing his committee’s findings, Grassley said the FBI had repeatedly relied on discredited sources — including the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center — to justify its targeting of religious Americans.

“Based on records I released the other week, there wasn’t just one FBI document that used biased anti-Catholic sources, but over a dozen,” Grassley said. “And more FBI field offices were involved than we’d been led to believe.”

Grassley’s committee also obtained a second memo — never released to the public — which indicated that FBI analysts anticipated heightened “Racially Motivated Violent Extremism” interest in “Radical Traditional Catholic” ideology ahead of the 2024 election. That draft was reportedly intended for wide circulation throughout the FBI.

According to a statement by the Oversight Project, Wray’s congressional testimony failed to disclose key facts:

• That the Richmond memo was not an isolated product but part of a broader initiative
• That a second, unreleased memo existed
• And that the FBI intended to distribute this material bureau-wide

The group’s criminal referral accuses Wray of perjury, obstruction of Congress, and making false statements — serious felonies if proven true.

Further fueling outrage, recently declassified documents provided by current FBI Director Kash Patel revealed a disturbing CCP-linked voter fraud scheme dating back to August 2020. Despite these internal warnings, Wray testified before Congress the following month that the FBI had seen no signs of national election interference.

“Former FBI leadership withheld the facts and misled the public on China’s 2020 election interference,” Patel said. “And they did so for political gain. This FBI is exposing all of it and giving Americans the truth they deserve.”

Grassley added that over 1,000 Bureau personnel had access to the anti-Catholic materials, which he says effectively branded devout Christians as potential terrorists.

Wray’s defenders claim he simply misspoke or was unaware of the full scope. But the Oversight Project isn’t convinced — and they’re calling on the DOJ to hold the former director accountable.