The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Joe Biden has not only gone after former President Donald Trump, who may be a political rival once more in 2024, but ordinary citizens as well. As Sarah covered over the weekend, the FBI raided the home of and arrested Mark Houck for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The raid came in the early morning hours of last Friday, as Houck's wife and seven children watched in horror. The details keep getting worse, too, with the raid adding insult to injury considering Houck was already going to have turned himself in.
??THREAD: The Biden DOJ is being fully weaponized against his political enemies.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 24, 2022
The most horrific case yet might be the story of a Catholic activist from my hometown who had 30 FBI agents sent to his house yesterday to arrest him in front of his wife and seven children. pic.twitter.com/UKwPqUv9D7
The Mark Houck story just keeps getting worse.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 26, 2022
Despite having no legal foundation to charge him under the FACE Act, his lawyers said three months ago he would voluntarily turn himself into the DOJ.
The FBI sent 30 armed agents to his house anyway.https://t.co/GHo9becZU3
Houck, however, does appear to have support from Republican members of Congress though. On Monday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who has been tweeting and retweeting his outrage about Houck's arrest, sent a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland inquiring about the tactics employed.
I want to know from Merrick Garland directly why Biden’s DOJ is arresting Catholic protestors like terrorists - complete with SWAT-style tactics - while letting actual terrorist acts like firebombings go unpunished pic.twitter.com/tU1Jwe4c7h
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 26, 2022
The senator gets down to business in his very first sentence, pointing out that if "the shocking reports... are true, then you have a lot to answer for." As mentioned, the more details that come out, the worse it gets. When it comes to the allegations that Houck assaulted a clinic escort at an abortion facility, Hawley's first paragraph also points out that "Houck contends that he only did so to defend his child against the man, and local authorities have already dismissed a separate criminal complaint against Houck for the same conduct." Hawley also begins his next paragraph by charging that the FBI "reportedly executed the search warrant in as extreme a manner as one can imagine."
It's certainly worth wondering, then, as to if the FBI and DOJ is looking to make a political example out of this pro-life activist.
Hawley's letter also makes it a point to call out Garland for the hypocrisy when it comes to giving a pass to pro-abortion extremism and violence as well.
"The reports are especially shocking given that your office has so far turned a blind eye to the epidemic of violence across the country by pro-abortion extremists against pregnancy resource centers, houses of worship, and pro-life Americans--violent acts that are prohibited by the very same law which you are changing Mark Houck," another paragraph reads.
It's worth reminding that during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last month during which FBI Director Christopher Wray came to give testimony, he was unable to sufficiently say that any of these "pro-abortion extremists" have been charged under the FACE Act.
In another paragraph, Hawley cites a report from the Family Research Council documenting how there have been "104 incidents of extremist violence against pregnancy resource centers, churches, and pro-life Americans since the leak of the Supreme Court draft on May 3. Those attacks include fire-bombings and arsons." He continued by mentioning a particularly recent attack against a pro-lifer, in Michigan. "Just last week, an 83-year-old woman was shot while engaging in pro-life activism."
Continuing to call out Garland, Hawley writes that "Despite my repeated requests, you still have not identified a single prosecution the Department of Justice has taken in response to this epidemic of violence against pro-life Americans." In his next paragraph he adds "All of this comes after more than a year of your office repeatedly weaponizing the FBI and other arms of the federal government against political opponents. If you are trying to inspire confidence in your department, you are failing magnificently."
In closing, Hawley calls for Garland to testify under oath, and requests answers from for the following questions:
1. Why were 20-25 armed FBI agents sent to Mark Houck's home to execute an arrest for alleged simple assault?
2. Why did those agents have their guns drawn?
3. Since May 3, 2022, how many charges has your department brought against pro-abortion extremists who have attacked pregnancy resource centers, churches, and pro-life Americans?
Hawley is seeking answers within 10 days.