I helped build 40 Days for Life, a movement that mobilized hundreds of thousands of volunteers in peaceful prayer outside abortion facilities across the country and around the world. What began as a grassroots effort soon found itself in the crosshairs of a disturbing power dynamic within the Justice Department.
A recently released report, compiled from over 700,000 internal records, confirms long-held suspicions: the Biden Justice Department actively collaborated with abortion advocacy groups – including the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood – to target and prosecute peaceful pro-life citizens. This wasn’t simply oversight; it was a coordinated effort to build cases against individuals exercising their fundamental rights.
The disparity in sentencing was chilling. Pro-life advocates faced prison sentences more than double those given to individuals who firebombed and vandalized pregnancy centers and churches. For every pro-abortion offender brought to justice, fifteen pro-lifers were prosecuted. A woman quietly praying with a rosary was deemed a greater threat than an arsonist.
The leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision in *Roe v. Wade* ignited a wave of violence. Ninety-six pregnancy resource centers and 393 Catholic churches were attacked, threatened, or vandalized. Statues were desecrated, and buildings were set ablaze, with messages of intimidation scrawled on walls. Despite warnings, the Department of Justice remained largely silent.
The targeting wasn’t limited to broad attacks. Mark Houck, a 40 Days for Life volunteer, experienced the full force of this injustice when a SWAT team descended upon his home at dawn, weapons drawn, in front of his family. He was later acquitted, with the judge acknowledging the law had been “stretched a little thin” – a gross understatement of the overreach.
The report revealed a dedicated task force within the Civil Rights Division, led by Sanjay Patel, systematically building secret files on pro-life advocates, even those who hadn’t been accused of any wrongdoing. Disturbingly, some of these files contained photographs of their children. Patel and several others involved were subsequently removed from their positions.
Having worked alongside these individuals for years – standing with them in the rain, supporting pregnancy center directors, and praying with pastors – I witnessed firsthand the fear that gripped the pro-life community. The aggression emanating from Washington only amplified that fear, revealing a deep-seated contempt within the institutions that shape our society.
This isn’t simply about a change in administration; it’s about a shift in attitudes within law schools, newsrooms, and the legal profession itself. While a new administration can halt the abuse, dismantling the underlying biases will require a far more profound and sustained effort.
We must remember this dark chapter, a time when people of faith and pro-life advocates legitimately feared for their livelihoods, reputations, and even their safety. A thorough congressional investigation is needed, along with reforms to prevent such abuses from ever happening again.
The FACE Act itself warrants a critical review. Those wrongly prosecuted deserve to have their records cleared and their reputations restored. A reckoning is long overdue for those who weaponized the Justice Department against individuals simply defending the sanctity of life.
Despite facing opposition from their own government, these peaceful advocates never lost faith in America. We must honor their resilience and continue the vital work of renewing a nation founded on the principle of the right to life.
