Bondi vows to 'protect every religion in this country' after Wray-era controversy

"It's not only Catholics, it's every religion, and even mosques that were slow-walked under the Biden administration and not allowed to open," Bondi said. "We will protect every religion in this country."

The attorney general's remarks came in response to questions from Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., who asked what budget resources Bondi needed to "eradicate anti-Christian bias" in the department.

Bondi's nod to mosques was an apparent reference to a handful of blue-leaning states closing all religious buildings as part of their COVID-19 protocols in 2020 during the Trump administration.

"They are working to protect people of all religions," Bondi said.

The internal document laid out what the FBI perceived as a pattern of extremism among a small group of Catholics, identifying them as those who opposed modern-day popes, held "extremist ideological beliefs," and "engaged in violent rhetoric."

The document pointed to three real-life examples of criminal suspects who identified with that sect of Catholicism to illustrate its point, and it used the Southern Poverty Law Center, a left-leaning nonprofit, to bolster its assessment. In response to backlash, the FBI retracted the memo. Wray later said he admonished employees involved with making it but also said he did not uncover any "bad faith conduct" among them.

Bondi said during Monday's hearing that under her tenure, the DOJ will not use the Southern Poverty Law Center as a resource.