A pro-life organization claims the FBI under President Joe Biden used a federal informant to spy on the group's activities, an allegation that has prompted backlash on Capitol Hill.
Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) alleges that the FBI spied on their Jan. 19 meeting in Washington, D.C., and used the information against their director of activism in court. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for answers by Wednesday, the Daily Caller reported.
"The American people deserve the truth," Cruz and Roy wrote. "Are their tax dollars and federal law enforcement agencies being used to spy on pro-life Americans?"
PAAU's allegations have raised concerns over a pattern of FBI interference with pro-life activists. Armed FBI agents raided pro-life activist Mark Houck’s home in September on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which criminalizes blocking entry to abortion clinics. The Biden administration pushed for an 11-year prison sentence, but Houck was acquitted on all charges.
"They were trying to scare pro-lifers from coming out on the sidewalks and being active," Houck's lawyer said of the Biden administration charges.
PAAU says that the FBI sent an informant by the name of Eric Mike Santos, who was approved by the organization to attend their meeting based on his seemingly pro-life presence on Facebook. The page was later deleted.
A recording of the meeting, reportedly taken by Santos, was used in court against director of activism Lauren Handy to demonstrate a violation of the FACE Act.
"It is shocking that the FBI is spending time and resources to physically send informants into our spaces to secretly record the work of totally nonviolent life-saving actions which are compliant with federal law," said founder and executive director of PAAU Terrisa Bukovinac.