October 24, 2022

Man Who Shot Michigan Pro-Lifer Set to go to Trial

On October 19, a Michigan judge determined that there was enough evidence to send Richard Harvey to trial for shooting 84-year-old Joan Jacobsen while she was canvassing against Michigan Proposal 3 (a constitutional amendment that would legalize unlimited abortion in the state).

Judge Raymont Voet bound Harvey for trial on all charges levied against him.

“It’s clear to me that Mr. Harvey did fire a warning shot to send a message to Ms. Jacobsen, and then he also shot her,” Judge Voet said according to a local report. “Thankfully he didn’t kill or paralyze her considering how close it was to her spine. We’re lucky that no one was more seriously hurt.”

Richard and his wife, Sharon are abortion supporters. When Jacobsen came to the door to canvass against Michigan Proposal 3, an argument sparked. Eventually, Sharon asked Jacobsen to leave the property. Jacobsen took steps down the Harveys' porch toward her car, but Sharon followed her down the steps. Jacobsen turned to tell Sharon to stop following, and their argument continued.

During this time, Richard emerged with a gun. He fired two shots, one warning shot toward a tree, and another shot that he claims was fired by mistake. This shot went through Jacobsen's shoulder and out her back. In fear for her life, Jacobsen fled to her car and drove herself to a police station. From there, she was transported to a hospital.

The Harveys called 911 after Jacobsen left, but not because Jacobsen required medical attention. Sharon told the operator that Jacobsen "needs to be arrested" for asking Sharon to sign a petition, not leaving the property quickly enough, and driving over the grass on her property (the latter of which likely happened after she was shot).

On that same call, Richard said, “I didn’t shoot her on purpose. She was a right-wing nut. I’m sorry I shot her.”

October 21, 2022

Montana Voters to Decide Whether to Require Medical Treatment to Babies Who Survive Abortion

This election season, Montana voters will decide whether the state should require medical care for children who survive attempted abortions.

On the Montana ballot, voters will have the opportunity to approve legislation with the following language:

“A born-alive infant, including an infant born in the course of an abortion, must be treated as a legal person under the laws of the state, with the same rights to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment.”

The federal “Born-Alive Infant Protection Act of 2002” only applies to federally-funded facilities. This legislation would apply to private facilities as well.

National Right to Life reports that 36 states have laws on the books to protect the rights of babies born alive during attempted abortions.

October 20, 2022

Indiana Supreme Court Continues Injunction Blocking Indiana Pro-Life Law

On October 12, the Indiana Supreme Court issued an order to take over the case challenging the state's new pro-life law blocking most elective abortions. At the same time, the Indiana Supreme Court rejected Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's request to end a preliminary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law while courts deliberated on its constitutionality.

Indiana Senate Bill 1 was the first pro-life law passed by a state after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. If it was not blocked by Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon, it would have gone into effect on Sept 15. The law bans abortion except in cases of rape, incest, when the mother's life is at risk, or fatal fetal anomalies. Additionally, the law states that abortions can only be performed in hospitals or outpatient facilities owned by hospitals.

"Indiana’s Constitution says nothing about abortion, and our legislature outlawed abortion before, during and after the period when our citizens adopted our Constitution," a statement from the Indiana Attorney General's office reads. "Planned Parenthood can present no textual or historical argument in support of a right to abortion, and the Indiana Supreme Court rightly concluded that it needs to resolve the issue right away."

Indiana Right to Life CEO Mike Fichter said,
“We are deeply disappointed the Indiana Supreme Court will allow the injunction against Indiana’s new abortion law to remain in effect pending appeal. We estimate at least three thousand unborn babies, whose lives otherwise might have been saved, will now needlessly die from abortion as the law remains blocked. Thousands more will die as we await a final ruling after the January hearing. Although we are confident the law will be upheld, it will be far too late for those whose lives will be lost as this is argued in the courts.”

October 19, 2022

Biden Again Promises to Codify Abortion Rights if Pro-Abortion Legislators Win Election

In an attempt to rally support for the upcoming midterm elections, President Joe Biden promised voters that he would codify abortion rights into federal law if pro-abortion lawmakers won a majority.

Biden gave his statement at a Democratic National Committee event in Washington, DC.

“Here’s the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill that I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade. And when Congress passes it I will sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was first decided the law of the land.”

Biden went further, saying that he would oppose any pro-life legislation passed by Congress if pro-life legislators gain majorities in the midterm elections. “If such a bill were to pass in the next couple of years, I’ll veto it,” Biden said.

The president even suggested that overturning Roe v. Wade has caused doctors to refuse to treat women suffering from miscarriages or arthritis. He did not cite any examples.

It is worth noting that while some medical definitions of abortion include ending a pregnancy in situations where the child has already died (miscarriage), the legal definition of abortion in pro-life legislation does not include this circumstance. The definitions of abortion in these laws include the intentional killing of an unborn child, and they specifically exclude situations such as miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies.

October 18, 2022

Woman in Pain Requests Ambulance After Abortion at Chicago Area Clinic

Access Health Center in Downers Grove, IL
photo credit: Operation Rescue
Pro-Life Action League in Chicago recently provided Operation Rescue with emergency records revealing that a woman was taken to the emergency room after an abortion at the Access Health Center in Downers Grove, Illinois. This incident occurred on April 26.

Unlike other medical emergencies at abortion clinics, this 911 call was not made at the discretion of clinic staff. Instead, the patient requested that an employee call and request transport to a hospital emergency room. The patient told staffers that she was experiencing severe abdominal pain, but the caller simply described the patient's pain as "cramping."


Operation Rescue noted that this attitude towards patients appears to be a trend at this facility. In the last emergency that Operation Rescue documented at Access Health, a patient was advised by the abortionist to transport herself to a hospital. The staff only called after the patient was unable to stand on her own and insisted that they call 911.

“When an abortionist is willing to violently dismember a growing baby in the intended safety of his or her mother’s womb, that same callousness naturally extends to the mother,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “This is exactly why Operation Rescue will continue to expose this pattern of evil disregard for human life at this abortion facility and others throughout the nation.”

October 17, 2022

Pro-Life Republican Senate Candidate Not Listed on Schuyler County Ballot

photo credit: Illinois Review
Despite winning the Republican Primary election for the office, pro-life US Senate candidate Kathy Salvi's name is not listed on ballots for voters in Schuyler County, Illinois. Schuyler County ballots only list incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth, Libertarian Bill Redpath, and Republican primary candidate Peggy Hubbard. Hubbard lost the Republican primary, and winning-candidate Kathy Salvi should have been listed instead.

Salvi won over 38,000 more votes in the seven-way Republican primary than runner-up Peggy Hubbard.

Early voting has been underway in Illinois for weeks, and votes have already been cast in this race. According to a press release from Salvi's campaign, Schuyler County has informed her that over 307 incorrect ballots were distributed. At least 45 of these voters had returned completed ballots as of October 12.

In a statement for that press release, Salvi said,
“On Tuesday, October 11th, it was brought to my attention that ballots drafted by the Schuyler County Board of Elections, and approved by the Illinois State Board of Elections, incorrectly listed one of my primary opponents as the Republican nominee for United States Senate. Our campaign legal team immediately took action and worked with the Schuyler County State’s Attorney. While we came to the best remedy - to sequester the hundreds of ballots that were distributed - this does not solve the most pressing problem of election integrity and transparency.”

“Illinois voters need to have confidence in our elections and this unacceptable error does absolutely nothing to provide that comfort. There needs to be accountability at the county level for this mistake and with the Illinois Board of Elections for approving the ballots. Voters spoke during the June primary and now they are being disenfranchised, period. We need answers from our election officials as to how this happened and transparency to show inaccurate ballots have not been approved elsewhere in the state.”

A spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections told Illinois Review that Schuyler County Clerk Mindy Garrett (D) plans to credit Salvi with the early votes that went to Hubbard, and the county plans to re-issue corrected ballots to affected voters.

Click here to read more.

October 14, 2022

Biden Admin Gives $750,000 in COVID Funds to Pro-Abortion Guttmacher Institute

President Joe Biden's Department of Health and Human Services designated $750,000 in taxpayer funds from Congress's COVID spending to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute for research to help pro-abortion lawmakers expand abortion.

The grant states, “This work will result in data and findings readily available for policy makers, clinical providers, and program planners to leverage when designing programs and policies to increase equitable access, especially for those most in need of publicly funded [sexual reproductive health] services.”

The Guttmacher Institute was founded by Planned Parenthood, but it later became an independent research organization “committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worldwide.”

The $750,000 is just part of the $6 million that the HHS pledged to research organizations in exchange for data to help politicians expand abortion in the US.

October 13, 2022

FBI Arrests Another Pro-Life Activist at Tennessee Home

At 7:20 AM on Wednesday, October 5, Pro-Life activist Paul Vaughn was arrested in front of his children at his Tennessee home by FBI agents with guns drawn. Vaughn is the president of Personhood Tennessee.

According to a press release by the Biden Department of Justice, Vaughn and 10 other pro-life activists were charged with "conspiracy against rights secured by the FACE [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances] Act, and committing FACE Act violations." The pro-lifers who were charged include Eva Edl, an 87-year-old German woman who survived a concentration camp during World War II.

The Department of Justice is pressing charges against this group over a sit-in held by pro-life activists in March of 2021. In an interview shortly after the event, Vaughn told WZTV, “It was like church service in there, people sitting in the floor in the hallway, people singing hymns, reading scripture, praying," Vaughn said. “The purpose is to try to save babies today and most importantly be obedient to Christ.”

After they were arrested following their civil disobedience, the activists were charged with trespassing. This new action by the Department of Justice comes over a year and a half later.

Vaughn's wife told Townhall that the FBI agents who arrested Paul did not produce a warrant or tell her where they were taking Paul. He was taken to a federal holding facility, and he was brought before a judge to receive charges. Then he was released 60 miles away from home with no wallet or cell phone.

“For over six hours, no one knew where I was and why I was kidnapped from my home at gunpoint,” Paul told Townhall. “It took a good attorney six hours to be able to break through the bureaucracy and find the people who know what was going on.”

Click here to read more.

October 12, 2022

Ohio Judge Indefinitely Extends Injunction Against Six-Week Abortion Protections

On Oct. 7, Hamilton County Judge Christian Jenkins in Ohio issued a ruling to block Ohio's six-week abortion law from taking effect indefinitely.

Previously, Jenkins blocked the law on a temporary basis. The law would protect unborn children with detectable heartbeats from abortion. When making his ruling, Jenkins stated, “Abortion is safe health care to which Ohioans have a right.” Abortion, of course, does not heal a woman of an injury or ailment, has medical risks, and aims to kill an unborn child. Describing abortion as "safe" or "health care" is disingenuous. 

“We are thrilled with this second major victory and relieved that patients in Ohio can continue to access abortion as we work to fight this unjust and dangerous ban in court,” a joint statement from the ACLU and abortion businesses celebrated. “The preliminary injunction will be in place for the duration of our case, which means abortions will be legal in Ohio for a period much, much longer than the temporary restraining order granted. This court ruling will provide significant relief to Ohio patients and clinics.”

Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis said that his group was "saddened but not surprised" by the decision. “The abortion clinics literally forum shopped to get the outcome they wanted,” he said. This is a moment in time for the pro-life movement and we are convinced that the Ohio Supreme Court will overturn this ruling. Nowhere in Ohio’s Constitution does a right to an abortion exist.”

October 11, 2022

Biden Administration Determines Planned Parenthood was Eligible for COVID Relief Loans

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) said last week that Planned Parenthood affiliates were in fact eligible for the $80 million in COVID relief loans they received.

Under President Trump, the SBA said that affiliates of organizations with over 500 employees were not eligible for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. Planned Parenthood Federation of America had over 600 employees at the time, but affiliates collectively received $80 million in loans.

In its investigation, the OIG justified the loans by saying regional organizations did not classify as affiliates.

“To assess affiliation, we reviewed documents such as bylaws, member agreements, articles of incorporation, tax documents, and membership requirements to determine if control or the potential for control existed,” the OIG wrote. “We looked for any instances of control through voting, management of other member organizations, or business interests of close relatives. We found that the national organizations did not have unique management agreements with member organizations, which could indicate control.”

National Right to Life told Live Action News, “Those funds were used to prop up Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider with over $1 billion in assets. The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to protect small businesses — not the nation’s largest abortion provider with over 16,000 employees.”

Planned Parenthood of Illinois received $3.8 million in PPP loans.

October 10, 2022

2022 General Election Information

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Arizona Court of Appeals Reinstates Injunction Blocking Pro-Life Law

On October 7, a three-judge panel from the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate the 1973 injunction blocking the state's 1901 abortion ban. The injunction was previously lifted in September by Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson because it was based on the now-defunct Roe v. Wade decision.

The ruling was made because Arizona legislators passed a 15-week abortion ban that took effect on September 24. That law was written and passed under the assumption that Roe v. Wade restrictions would still apply, but Roe v. Wade was overturned after the law was passed.

Planned Parenthood argued that the courts needed to reconcile the 1901 law with all other abortion regulations passed since then—including the new 15-week ban. While Johnson said that she did not have to rule on any other laws to end the injunction, the appeals court disagreed.

“Arizona courts have a responsibility to attempt to harmonize all of this state’s relevant statutes,” Presiding Judge Peter J Eckerstrom wrote. He said that Planned Parenthood “had shown they are likely to prevail on an appeal of a decision by the judge in Tucson to allow enforcement of the old law.”

The ruling allows abortion to resume in Arizona if it conforms with the state's new 15-week abortion ban.

October 7, 2022

Aurora Planned Parenthood Patient Hospitalized After Seizure

Photo credit: Operation Rescue
On Saturday, September 24, a patient at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora IL was hospitalized following seizures. Operation Rescue obtained 911 records documenting the incident.

A Planned Parenthood employee called 911 at around 11:30 am to request an ambulance. The patient suffered from a seizure in the clinic's restroom. The employee did not know the patient's age. The pro-life onlooker who reported the incident to Operation Rescue said that the ambulance stayed on-site for 15 minutes after loading the patient.

Further information about the kind of "services" the patient received at the Aurora Planned Parenthood is unavailable.

An audio recording of the 911 call can be heard here.


October 6, 2022

Biden Calls for Voters to Elect Pro-Abortion Legislators to "Codify Roe"

photo credit: Gage Skidmore
On Oct. 4, President Biden held the second meeting for the White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access. Biden reiterated that "codifying Roe" is one of his top priorities and emphasized that his party might be able to do so if it wins seats in the Senate this November.

According to Biden, the US Supreme Court “got Roe right 50 years ago, and the Congress should codify the protections of Roe and do it once and for all,” Biden added. “But right now, we’re short a handful of votes. The only way it’s going to happen is if the American people make it happen.”

The bill in congress that pro-abortion politicians claim would "codify Roe" is the Women's Health Protection Act. As written, the bill would go much farther than the standard established in the now-defunct decision. The law would legalize abortion at all stages of development and prevent states from enforcing most (if not all) pro-life protections. Even pro-life laws that were upheld by the Supreme Court during the 49-year reign of Roe v. Wade would be rendered unenforceable.

According to a report from the Heritage Foundation, the bill would prevent states from enforcing laws that:
  • restrict discriminatory abortions based on race, sex, or genetic abnormality
  • ban post-viability abortions
  • introduce safety requirements for abortions
  • restrict taxpayer funding of abortion
  • create informed consent requirements 
  • protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers

October 5, 2022

Planned Parenthood Opening "RV Clinic" on Southern Illinois Border

On Monday, Planned Parenthood announced its plan to open a "mobile clinic" in an RV near the Missouri and Kentucky borders.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court in June, the power to decide the legality of abortion fell to states and the democratic process. As a result, pro-life laws ban most abortions in Missouri and Kentucky. Unfortunately, Illinois has become a prime abortion destination for women throughout the midwest. Abortion businesses throughout the country have taken notice, and they are popping up near state borders frequently.

Planned Parenthood's "mobile clinic" will be set up inside a retrofitted RV with a lab, a waiting area, and two exam rooms. To start, the Planned Parenthood RV will offer chemical abortions (the abortion pill) up to 11 weeks gestation. Planned Parenthood hopes to offer surgical abortions in the RV by the first quarter of next year.

A Planned Parenthood spokesperson told Axios that the RV will start seeing patients at the end of October or early November.

October 4, 2022

Biden Department of Veterans Affairs Commits First Abortion

VA Secretary Denis McDonough
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially committed its first abortion under a new rule created by the Biden administration.

During testimony before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville asked VA Secretary Denis McDonough how many abortions have taken place at VA facilities. McDonough admitted that one abortion has been committed since the policy took effect on Sept. 9.

The Biden administration's rule allows VA clinics to commit abortions for pregnant veterans and eligible dependents in cases of rape, incest, or if the health of the mother is threatened. The administration even argues that the VA can commit these abortions in states where abortion is illegal.

“States may not impose criminal or civil liability on VA employees—including doctors, nurses, and administrative staff—who provide or facilitate abortions or related services in a manner authorized by federal law, including VA’s rule,” a statement from the Department of Justice reads. “The Supremacy Clause bars state officials from penalizing VA employees for performing their federal functions, whether through criminal prosecution, license revocation proceedings, or civil litigation.”

Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) is the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He notes that the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 prohibits the VA from committing abortions. To this point, he demanded that McDonough provide answers to legal questions and challenged the new policy's legality. Bost's full letter to Secretary McDonough can be read here.

“The Biden Administration is violating the will of the American people who don’t want their tax dollars used to pay for abortion at VA,” Bost said in a statement. “VA is also clearly violating the law, which has prohibited abortion at VA for 30 years. By using unelected bureaucrats to make policy decisions better left to duly elected representatives, VA is undercutting our constitutional process and the sanctity of life at the same time. This executive overreach is frighteningly common under President Biden. It is illegal, wrong, and must stop.”

October 3, 2022

Michigan Man Charged for Shooting Pro-Life Volunteer

Following an investigation, Michigan authorities have charged Richard Harvey, the man who shot 84-year-old Joan Jacobson who was going door-to-door asking voters to oppose a ballot proposal that would legalize abortion in the state.

According to a phone interview Jacobson had last week with the Daily Signal, Jacobson visited the Harvey household by herself while canvassing in opposition to Michigan Proposal 3. If successful, the proposal would legalize abortion in the state. Sharon Harvey, Richard's wife, answered the door. Sharon is an abortion supporter, and the two women argued.

Jacobson told the Daily Signal that Sharon refused to listen and told Jacobson to leave the property. Jacobson said that Sharon followed Jacobson down the porch and continued to yell as Jacobson left. At this point, Jacobson turned and told Sharon to stop following her, and Richard Harvey emerged carrying a rifle.

“When that registered in my mind, I heard a shot, I felt some pain, and I thought he had hit me in the back,” Jacobson said. She told the Daily Signal that she later learned the bullet went through her shoulder and out her back, narrowly missing her spine.

Richard claims that he fired a warning shot at a tree, after which Jacobson waved a clipboard. He said he interpreted this as a motion to strike his wife, and he waved the loaded gun toward Jacobson in an attempt to knock the clipboard out of her hand. Richard claims that he accidentally fired a shot in this process. Jacobson disagrees with this account and believes the shot was purposeful.

“I do think that he knew what he was doing,” she said. “I think it was intentional.” She said that she was not waving her clipboard, and she said that she did not yell except to tell Sharon to stop following her.

After the shot, Jacobson said that the Harveys did not express concern or offer assistance, even though Sharon reportedly was holding her phone. Fearing another shot, Jacobson fled to her car. She drove herself to a police station. From there, she was brought to an emergency room.

On Sept 30, Michigan charged Richard with one count each of felonious assault, careless discharge of a gun causing injury, and reckless use of a firearm. The felonious assault charge, the most significant of the three, can carry a four-year prison sentence. Harvey's bail was set at $10,000.

September 30, 2022

Pro-Life Michigander Shot While Handing Out Pamphlets Opposing Abortion Rights Amendment

An 84-year-old pro-life volunteer (some reports say 83) was shot in Lake Odessa Michigan while handing out pamphlets. The woman was going door-to-door to speak with voters about Michigan's Proposal 3, a ballot item that would create a right to abortion in Michigan's constitution.

The pro-life volunteer got into a heated conversation with a pro-abortion woman at one of the homes she visited. Right to Life Michigan (RLM) told ABC13, “One of the ladies that lived at the house got upset and started screaming at her. This volunteer walked away, was walking back to her car, and a man from the house came out and shot her in the back.” Visser told ABC13 that the victim did not threaten the homeowner, and she was unarmed.

After being shot, the victim drove herself to the Lake Odessa Police Department. From there, she was taken to a hospital to receive treatment.

Chris Gast, the education coordinator for RLM, told CNA that the volunteer “is at home recovering and in good spirits. She should be OK.”

Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting. When the investigation concludes, detectives will report to the Ionia County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The county prosecutor will then decide whether to issue charges.

September 29, 2022

Another 20-Year-Old Patient Hospitalized by Family Planning Associates in Chicago

Family Planning Associates in Chicago
photo credit: Operation Rescue
Prolife Action helped Operation Rescue
obtain 911 records for yet another emergency at Family Planning Associates Medical Group on Washington Blvd in Chicago.

This event took place on May 14. Emergency medical personnel arrived at 3 pm.

Click here to listen to a recording of the 911 call.


The employee who called 911 told a dispatcher “She is syncopal and having shortness of breath. Her hemoglobin is four.” A syncopal patient is falling in and out of consciousness. The dangerously low hemoglobin level signifies that red blood cells are not sufficiently transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide between the tissues and lungs. The employee also told the dispatcher that the patient could only walk with assistance.

Operation Rescue has documented 16 emergencies at this clinic since 2018. The pro-life group's full list of documented malpractice claims, serious injuries, and deaths can be found at Abortiondocs.org.

September 28, 2022

Pennsylvania Pro-Life Catholic Pleads Not Guilty After Controversial FBI Arrest

On the morning of Sept 23, over a dozen FBI agents with guns drawn arrived at Catholic pro-life advocate Mark Houck's home in Pennsylvania. The agents arrested Mark in front of his wife and seven children, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged him with two violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Mark pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges levied by the DOJ, and his attorneys decried the Biden administration's method of executing a warrant.

Mark is 48 years old and is the co-founder of a ministry called The King's Men, a Catholic ministry aimed at mentoring young men.

The charges reference an altercation Mark had with a Planned Parenthood clinic escort on Oct. 13, 2021. Mark's wife, Ryan-Marie, told LifeSiteNews that Mark drives to Philadelphia every Wednesday to volunteer as a sidewalk counselor. On some of these trips, Mark would bring his 12-year-old son with him.

Ryan-Marie said that the 72-year-old escort would repeatedly approach Mark's son and say "crude... inappropriate and disgusting things," such as "you're dad's a fag," and other vulgar statements. Mark told the escort that he did not have permission to speak with Mark's son, but the escort would not relent. The escort kept coming into the son's personal space and shouting obscenities.

Eventually, Mark interposed himself between the escort and his son. As Mark shoved the escort away, the man fell back. DOJ prosecutors allege that Mark shoved the escort to the ground two times during this altercation, which is why it charged Mark with two violations of the FACE Act.

The FACE Act creates criminal penalties for obstructing access to abortion businesses through violence, physical obstruction, or threats. The law also creates penalties for acts of violence targeting abortion businesses, pregnancy centers, or their employees because of the services they provide.

The Thomas More Society, which announced Monday that it will represent Mark in court, argues that Mark's actions don't violate the FACE Act. Mark's actions did not target the escort due to his affiliation to the abortion clinic. They were in defense of Mark's son. Additionally, Thomas More Society attorneys won a case in June of 2019 establishing that one-off altercations cannot form the basis for FACE Act violations.

Brian Middleton, a spokesperson for the family, told CNA that both the city police and the district attorney declined to file charges after the incident occurred last year. The escort filed a private criminal complaint in Philadelphia municipal court, but the case was dismissed in July after the escort repeatedly failed to appear in court.

Peter Breen, Mark's attorney, criticized the Biden administration for the way that it handled charges. Breen told Fox News on Tuesday that his team contacted the DOJ and the US Attorney's Office back in June to inform them they had no case based on controlling precedent. Breen's team told the DOJ that if the DOJ decided to indict, Mark would willingly respond to summons. Rather than send a court summons, however, the Biden administration made a show of force.

"This is a political prosecution," Breen told Fox News. "And what’s clear from the Department of Justice at its highest levels, which is directing this case, [is] that they are trying to send a message to pro-life and people of faith: ‘Don’t mess with us.’ They want to intimidate — they want to cause good people like Mark to stop praying and counseling at the abortion clinics of our country. And that’s not going to happen."

If convicted, Mark could face up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. As of Tuesday evening, a GiveSendGo fundraiser raised over $284,000 to help the Houck family with expenses.