Emails Expose Biden DOJ Partnership with Pro-Abortion Group in FACE Act Prosecutions Against Pro-Life Activists

Newly released emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the Functional Government Initiative show the Biden Department of Justice collaborated with the National Abortion Federation, a pro-abortion organization, on investigations and prosecutions of pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The emails, dated January 9, 2023, include a message from Robert Ledogar, security manager for the National Abortion Federation, to Kristen Clarke, then Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Ledogar described an "amazing relationship" between the group and the DOJ Civil Rights Division, as well as the FBI, in handling multiple FACE Act cases. He noted involvement in investigations across Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, California, New York, Maryland, and North Carolina, praising guidance from DOJ officials including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sanjay Patel, Katelyn Smith, Laura Cowall, and Paige Fitzgerald.

Patel led the DOJ's Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Providers, and Cowall served as deputy chief of the Civil Rights Division. Clarke sought and received approval from the DOJ Criminal Section to meet with Ledogar, with Deputy Chief Robert Moossy responding that there were no concerns.

The National Abortion Federation, a professional association for abortion providers, attended events such as the March for Life in Washington, D.C., to identify individuals it described as extremists opposing reproductive health care.

Specific prosecutions under the Biden administration included a Tennessee case where six pro-life activists were convicted of FACE Act violations and conspiracy against rights for singing and praying in a hallway outside an abortion facility; three received prison sentences exceeding 10 years. In New York, pro-life advocate Bevelyn Williams and priest Fidelis Moscinski were sentenced to prison for FACE Act violations.

The Functional Government Initiative stated the emails indicate undue influence from abortion activists on federal investigations, potentially violating DOJ norms and civil rights of those convicted. It described the collaboration as part of a pattern where the Biden DOJ pursued pro-life protesters while showing leniency toward violence against pregnancy centers.

This effort aligned with broader Biden administration actions targeting conservatives. In October 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo directing the FBI to address threats against school administrators, prompted by a National School Boards Association letter likening protesting parents to domestic terrorists. House Judiciary Committee investigations found no legitimate basis for FBI involvement in monitoring parents at school board meetings over concerns like curriculum and COVID policies.

The administration also pursued extensive investigations into January 6, 2021, Capitol events, resulting in over 1,200 charges, many against conservatives for non-violent offenses. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging the DOJ silenced parents by labeling them terrorists.

In response, the Trump Justice Department issued new FACE Act charging guidelines on January 24, 2025, limiting enforcement to cases of extreme violence or property damage and prohibiting use against peaceful protests at crisis pregnancy centers or churches. On January 23, 2025, President Trump pardoned 23 pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during the Biden administration, including those serving prison sentences for blocking clinic access. The National Abortion Federation called the pardons disturbing for the safety of abortion providers and patients.

A Trump DOJ spokesperson stated the department no longer weaponizes the FACE Act against pro-life groups.