A Pennsylvania pro-life advocate is scheduled to be arraigned on charges of violating FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act) on Tuesday after the FBI stormed his house last week. Unfortunately, this appears to be another instance of Biden's DOJ targeting someone with opposing beliefs. The Federalist reported:
The arrest warrant shows Houck accused of “attacking a patient escort” at a Planned Parenthood facility in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a federal law used to restrict the actions of pro-life protesters and counselors in front of abortion facilities. Mark, who also runs a men’s ministry devoted in part to rescuing men from pornography addictions, made a habit of driving two hours to Philadelphia every week to spend his Wednesdays speaking and counseling in front of the Planned Parenthood – Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center.
His wife recalled that on several occasions when Mark took their then-12-year-old son to sidewalk counsel with him, a “pro-abortion protester” would say “crude … inappropriate and disgusting things” to Mark’s son, including “your dad’s a f-g” and other vulgarities Ryan-Marie couldn’t bring herself to repeat. It went on “for weeks and weeks,” despite Mark repeatedly telling the man to stop harassing his son. “He kept doing it and kind of came into [the son’s] personal space,” Ryan-Marie explained, at which point “Mark shoved him away from his child, and the guy fell back. He didn’t have any injuries or anything, but he tried to sue Mark.”
The case against Mark was thrown out of the district court in Philadelphia earlier this year, LifeSiteNews reported, but the FBI picked it up as the federal agency continues to wage war on the administration’s political opponents. Jacqueline C. Romero, the U.S. attorney whose signature is on Houck’s indictment, is a Biden appointee whom the DOJ bragged is “the first woman of color and the first person to identify as LGBTQIA+ to lead the Office,” as investigative journalist Julie Kelly pointed out on Twitter.
Houck previously notified the DOJ that he would voluntarily appear if charged for the incident, but it instead directed the FBI to arrest him at his home in front of his children anyways. LifeSite News explained:
In June 2022, Thomas More Society attorneys notified the Biden Department of Justice that the FACE Act does not cover one-on-one altercations like the one involving Houck, which was initiated by the abortion proponent who was harassing Houck’s son. The Department of Justice was also advised that if the decision was made to bring a charge against Houck despite lack of legal foundation, Houck would appear voluntarily.
“Rather than accepting Mark Houck’s offer to appear voluntarily, the Biden Department of Justice chose to make an unnecessary show of potentially deadly force, sending twenty heavily armed federal agents to the Houck residence at dawn this past Friday,” explained Breen. “In threatening form, after nearly breaking down the family’s front door, at least five agents pointed guns at Mark’s head and arrested him in front of his wife and seven young children, who were terrified that their husband and father would be shot dead before their eyes.”
“This case is being brought solely to intimidate people of faith and pro-life Americans,” stated Breen. “Mark Houck is innocent of these lawless charges, and we intend to prove that in court.”
Senator Josh Hawley has written a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about the arrest.
The corruption & abuse of law is out of control. Come January, the new Republican Congress must launch a thorough, public investigation of DOJ & the FBI - from their targeting of parents to religious protestors to political opponents. What Biden is doing is wrong. And dangerous
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 26, 2022
It is imperative that Republicans regain the majority in the House and Senate, so they can provide oversight of the politicized actions of Biden's DOJ.