Spanberger Puts Author Of FBI’s Infamous ‘Radical Catholic’ Memo In Charge Of Public Safety

Democratic Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger appointed the former FBI official who oversaw the Richmond field office during the “Catholic memo” scandal as the state’s secretary of public safety and homeland security in early December.

Stanley Meador was nominated for the position on Dec. 4, with Spanberger citing the need for a secretary to “collaborate with communities” throughout the state “amid an ever-evolving threat landscape.” (RELATED: Local Citizens Begged GOP Rep To Stop The Somalis Over A Decade Ago — He Told Them It Was Impossible)

“I know Mr. 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 — no matter their ZIP code,” Spanberger said.

Meador served as special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office when the memo, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology,” was compiled and leaked in 2023, according to the Catholic News Agency.

The memo linked domestic terrorist Xavier Lopez, who was arrested and indicted on federal weapons charges, to his religious beliefs as a Catholic, according to a Justice Department review mandated by Congress.

People gather at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church to pray for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

The review found “no evidence of malicious intent or an improper purpose” in the memo, but concluded it “failed to adhere to analytic tradecraft standards and evinced errors in professional judgment,” lacking “sufficient evidence or articulable support for a relationship between RMVEs (racially motivated violent extremists) and so-called RTC (radical traditional Catholicism) ideology,” according to a DOJ inspector general letter to Congress.

The FBI “incorrectly conflated subjects’ religious views with their RMVE activities, creating the appearance that the FBI had inappropriately considered religious beliefs and affiliation as a basis for conducting investigative activity,” the inspector general found, adding the memo “reflected a lack of training and awareness concerning proper domestic terrorism terminology.”

Former Virginia State Delegate Tim Anderson said Meador oversaw “one of the sloppiest pieces of intelligence in recent memory — conflating fringe internet extremists with ordinary Catholics who simply attend Latin Mass.”

“The memo was condemned nationwide and pulled because it should never have existed,” Anderson, a Republican, added.

Abigail Spanberger just put the former FBI official behind the Richmond “Catholic memo” , Stanley Meador, in charge of Virginia’s entire public safety and homeland security apparatus. This is the same office that produced one of the sloppiest pieces of intelligence in recent… pic.twitter.com/r4qWBnkTNr

— Tim Anderson (@AssocAnderson) December 10, 2025

Anderson said the appointment should concern Catholic voters who supported Spanberger, arguing she “handed power to someone who just promoted the architect of a debunked, withdrawn memo that targeted your own faith community under the banner of ‘homeland security.’”

In a statement announcing his nomination, Meador said he looks forward to supporting Spanberger’s vision “with the same dedication, integrity and commitment” that have guided his nearly three-decade career.

When Spanberger takes office in mid-January, Meador will assume one of the state’s most powerful cabinet positions, gaining oversight of roughly 10 major state agencies and thousands of employees who handle everything from state police and prisons to disaster response.

Spanberger’s transition team did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.