FBI: pro-life organizations suffer 70% of violent abortion-related attacks

According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, violence against the right to life has increased since Dobbs v. Jackson.

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18 de noviembre, 2022

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Attacks on pro-life organizations have increased since the Supreme Court ruled that abortion is not a constitutional right in the Dobbs v. Jackson case. In the last five months, 135 attacks have been recorded, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center. FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed that seven out of ten violent abortion-related threats were against right-to-life groups during his appearance before the Senate Homeland Security Committee:

Since the Dobbs Act decision, probably in the neighborhood of 70% of our abortion-related violence cases or threats cases are cases of violence or threats against […] pro-life organizations.

Wray condemned all violent actions against organizations and individuals who defend the right to life:

My view — plainly expressed to all of our people, including in the context of abortion-related violence — is that I don't care what side of the issue you're on, you don't get to engage in violence, and we are equal-opportunity when it comes to that.

Doubts about the FBI's performance

During the meeting, Republican Senator Rick Scott asked Wray about allegations that the FBI is not allocating sufficient resources to combat the spree of violence against pro-life organizations or churches. The director defended the work being done by the Federal Office:

Now, we have quite a number of investigations — as we speak — into attacks or threats against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations and other pro-life organizations. And we're going after that through our joint terrorism task forces, through our criminal authorities, FACE Act and things like that. We have about 20 field offices involved in this. And so we take it very seriously. And again, I don't care you're motivated by pro-life views or pro-choice views. You don't get to use violence to express it.

Wray added that he is "frustrated" by fake news stories about the FBI's work:

We don't have the time for me to tell how frustrated I sometimes get by some of the news reporting about our work and the misreporting of our work. The circumspection that we display with regard to discussing our investigations is based on rules and practices that are important to people having confidence in the integrity of our work and go back decades, multiple administrations.