OIG Hotline, the Reverend Matt McDermott of St. Mark's in Palo Alto is soon retiring. (Please see the notice, below.). This announcement comes as a surprise to many, including me. Reverend McDermott is still a vibrant and active minister who has been devoted to his congregation in the years I have witnessed his thoughtful and compassionate engagement. His replacement has not been located. Instead, he is departing with a "transition committee" in place.
I was unable to continue to be a congregant at St. Mark's due to Txx Lxxxx' directives that Reverend McDermott provide falsified law enforcement reporting concerning me to the FBI. I did not wish to place Rev. McDermott in an untenable position, in which he might feel forced to violate his ethics.
However, I wonder whether corrupt FBI agent Txx Lxxxx' demanded that violation anyway. The reason for my concern is this:
Today, Reverend McDermott's wife, LeeAnne, sent an email to the whole congregation announcing that the Church had been victimized by a phishing scam, in which some unknown assailant was posing as Matt McDermott in demanding $500 gift cards from church members. Please see the text of LeeAnne McDermott's email, below.
A few years ago, a similar phishing scam was perpetrated in the name of Matthew McDermott at St. Mark's. At that time, my stalker appeared to take active credit for preying upon the congregation of which I was a member.
Among my stalker's and Txx Lxxxx' FBI cohort, there is alleged to be frank contempt for people of faith.
The fact that a nearly identical phishing scam would now be perpetrated at St. Mark's at the moment of Matt McDermott's retirement suggests to me the possibility that Txx Lxxxx is playing a role in forcing him to leave his position, and further, that there is a calculated attempt to discredit Matt McDermott at precisely the time when he should be celebrated and upheld by the entire community.
Did Reverend Matt McDermott refuse to lie about me in the manner that Txx Lxxxx demanded of him, thus rendering him a "target of interest" himself?
Did he perhaps attempt to extricate St. Mark's from its Infragard agreement, further suggesting that his later separation from St. Mark's could be wielded as "punishment" for his non-compliance?
I question whether Matt McDermott's departure from the Church reflects his personal desire.
I highly doubt that it does.
If he signed a secrecy agreement with the FBI, which is certain, he would be unable to discuss these issues with his staff or the congregation at large, effectively silencing him in the midst of a totalitarian affront to his spiritual leadership.
If history can be allowed to guide us, the perpetrators of autocratic malfeasance generally seek to punish those who are virtuous, ethical, and faithful in the face of corrupt demands.
Reverend Matt McDermott stands as a truly ethical man in my view, guided by spiritual wisdom and compassion for others.
I feel concerned for him, and respectfully request that OIG Hotline investigators assess Txx Lxxxx' conduct concerning the both Reverend McDermott and the St. Mark's congregation in its entirety.
Certainly, Americans of all faiths benefit from the separation of Church and State guaranteed to us by the Constitution. We thrive in an environment that allows our spiritual leaders to stand independent from autocratic coercion perpetrated by our three-letter agencies.
The FBI and its affiliates should be forbidden from enmeshing faith communities in the perils of falsified law enforcement reporting for anti-democratic objectives.
Our nation is stronger when we allow the human bonds within our faith communities to thrive in a manner that is protected from prevarication and disinformation wielded by the wayward far right.
In this spirit, Reverend McDermott surely deserves our active engagement concerning his wellbeing.
Most sincerely,
Lane MacWilliams
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