Draft DOJ Report Alleges Biden-Era Targeting of Pro-Life Activists, Cites Coordination With Advocacy Groups
A forthcoming Justice Department report under the Trump administration concludes that prior prosecutions of anti-abortion activists were influenced by religious targeting and supported by outside advocacy groups, according to a draft reviewed by MS NOW.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A draft report prepared by the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump asserts that federal prosecutors during the previous administration disproportionately targeted pro-life activists based on their religious beliefs, while also relying on abortion advocacy organizations to support investigations that led to criminal charges.
The findings, detailed in a document reviewed by MS NOW and referenced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, focus on enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a federal statute enacted in 1994 to prevent interference with access to reproductive health services.
According to the draft, the DOJ’s National Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers engaged directly with abortion-rights organizations to gather intelligence on pro-life individuals, including travel activity and advocacy efforts. The report states that such coordination included obtaining “security reports” and detailed profiles that were later used in investigations and prosecutions.
Sanjay Patel, a longtime Civil Rights Division attorney who directed the task force, is identified in the report as maintaining consistent communication with advocacy groups including the National Abortion Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Feminist Majority Foundation. The report states Patel was “on texting terms” with members of the National Abortion Federation’s security team and received extensive documentation from outside organizations.
One example cited in the report describes a 2021 instance in which an abortion advocacy group submitted a 137-page memorandum ahead of a pro-life conference, outlining logistical details such as schedules and lodging, along with dossiers on attendees described as “anti-choice individuals.”
The draft report further alleges ethical concerns involving Patel’s agreement to serve as a reference for a grant application submitted by the National Abortion Federation. While a supervisor instructed him to seek ethics approval, the report states that a review of internal communications did not show that such approval was obtained or that the offer was withdrawn.
The nearly 60-page document also argues that prosecutions brought under the FACE Act during the Biden administration were influenced by what it describes as bias against individuals “with traditional Christian views.” It states, “Upon assuming office, the Biden DOJ shattered the public’s trust by weaponizing the FACE Act to advance a pro-abortion agenda, and DOJ’s Civil Rights Division was at the forefront of this weaponization.”
The report is expected to be released as part of a broader review of alleged political bias within federal law enforcement and is intended, in part, to support President Trump’s decision to pardon approximately two dozen pro-life activists in January 2025. Those individuals had been convicted of offenses including blocking access to abortion clinics, issuing threats, and confronting patients and staff.
The draft does not address ongoing legal efforts by the current DOJ to bring FACE Act-related charges in other contexts, including cases involving former media figures and protesters accused of entering religious institutions.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the draft’s contents but pointed to remarks by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said during a recent press conference that findings related to alleged DOJ “weaponization” would be released in the near future.
The report criticizes Patel’s role in prosecuting the majority of the cases involving defendants later pardoned by Trump, alleging that he prioritized cases against anti-abortion activists while giving comparatively less attention to incidents involving violence against churches and pregnancy resource centers. Two former DOJ employees who worked with Patel disputed that characterization in comments to MS NOW.
The draft also raises concerns about prosecutorial strategy, stating that Patel encouraged the pursuit of additional charges under the FACE Act to increase potential sentencing exposure. According to the report, prosecutors sought average prison terms of 26.8 months for pro-life defendants compared to 12.3 months for defendants aligned with abortion-rights activism.
Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision leak in 2022, the report notes that attacks on pregnancy centers increased, while DOJ engagement with pro-life organizations remained limited. It states that only three prosecutions were brought against abortion-rights activists during that period.
Patel, who joined the Civil Rights Division in 2011, has prosecuted a range of FACE Act cases, including matters involving threats against abortion clinics, assaults on clinic escorts, and vandalism targeting pregnancy centers. During the Biden administration, he handled most of the prosecutions involving individuals later pardoned.
According to individuals familiar with internal personnel decisions, Patel was placed on administrative leave last month. He did not respond to requests for comment.
In a policy shift following the pardons, the Office of the Associate Attorney General issued a memorandum directing prosecutors to scale back FACE Act enforcement in cases that do not involve “death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage.” The directive also called for the dismissal of three pending cases involving defendants accused of obstructing clinic operations in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. The draft report characterizes those cases as involving “peaceful, pro-life demonstrators.”
The report also references broader changes within the department, including the removal of certain officials and the appointment of personnel aligned with the administration’s priorities, as part of an effort to address what it describes as anti-Christian bias in federal enforcement actions.
The FACE Act, enacted in response to escalating violence against abortion providers in the 1990s, has historically been used to prosecute individuals who interfere with access to clinics. The current DOJ has also applied a lesser-used provision of the law related to protecting houses of worship, including in cases involving protests at religious sites.
The draft report is expected to be released in the coming days as part of a wider review ahead of the midterm election cycle.