Welcome to the Napa Legal Podcast, where we discuss religious liberty from the perspective of faith-based nonprofits.

‍

In this week's episode, Frank DeVito and Kyle Nazareth discuss a new DOJ report showing that FBI work on the rescinded Richmond memo continued after headquarters ordered it stopped, including surveillance of two Catholic priests; Johnson v. Fleming, a petition asking the Supreme Court to revisit Locke v. Davey after Virginia denied tuition grants to Liberty University students whose degrees were deemed too religious; and a Minnesota county whose online-only permitting process left Amish residents facing fines and arrest warrants.

‍

In this episode, we discuss:

‍

[1:45] The continuing saga of the FBI's 2023 Richmond memo, which tied traditionalist Catholics to violent extremism and pointed agents toward SPLC-designated "hate groups."

‍

[16:05] Johnson v. Fleming, now on a petition to the Supreme Court. Two Liberty University undergraduates pursuing degrees in pastoral leadership and in music and worship challenge Virginia's tuition assistance grant program, which excludes religious training and theological education, while a master of divinity student headed for military chaplaincy challenges the National Guard's tuition program, which excludes theological degrees outright.

‍

[33:45] A Minnesota county moved its zoning and permitting applications entirely online, leaving the Amish, who do not use the internet, with no way to apply, and then piled on civil fines, arrest warrants, and reportedly jail.

‍

The Napa Legal Podcast, September 9, 2026

‍

#freedomofreligion #religiousliberty #freeexercise

‍