EXCLUSIVE: Florida Successfully Uses Law Weaponized By Biden DOJ To Protect Pregnancy Centers

Florida has successfully used a federal law previously weaponized by President Joe Biden’s administration to target and jail pro-life activists to protect pregnancy resource centers, The Daily Wire can first report.

The state’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, sent a letter Wednesday to Florida’s chief financial officer, transmitting a $10,000 civil fine “received by court order from a member of the extremist organizations, Antifa and Jane’s Revenge, who unlawfully threatened employees of a Florida pregnancy resource facility.”

The fine is attached to Florida’s successful civil lawsuit filed against four pro-abortion vandals, all of whom are members of the radical groups Antifa and Jane’s Revenge, under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The law prohibits interfering with “reproductive health services,” and protects pregnancy centers, abortion clinics, and Catholic Churches.

Courtesy of the Florida Attorney General’s office.

The Biden Justice Department almost exclusively used FACE to target pro-life activists. Despite hundreds of pro-abortion attacks on pregnancy centers throughout the United States since May 2022, the Justice Department only brought cases against vandals in Florida and Ohio.

President Donald Trump freed almost two dozen of the pro-life activists imprisoned by the Biden Justice Department when he took office in January.

“The U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal charges against the defendants under the same Act,” Uthmeier explained in his Wednesday letter. “Three of the defendants pleaded guilty and one — the defendant whose fine I am transmitting today — was convicted by a jury.”

“As a result of our civil action, the federal court enjoined the defendants from coming within 100 feet of the seven pregnancy resource centers at issue in our lawsuit for the next ten years, entered a judgement for each defendant to pay fines ranging from $1,100 to $13,000, and directed them to apologize to the crisis pregnancy facilities for their wrongful acts.”

The Florida attorney general specifically highlighted the high number of pro-abortion attacks on pregnancy centers since the leak of the draft Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.

“We in Florida will not sit idly by when thugs attempt to threaten, intimidate and harass pro-life facilities who offer life-saving healthcare free of charge to Florida women,” vowed Uthmeier. “As the State’s chief legal officer, I will ensure that pro-abortion bullies who violate the law will be held accountable.”

Florida’s efforts come amidst renewed calls from Republican lawmakers to repeal the FACE Act, as they argue that the law was created for and weaponized by Democrats to target pro-life activists.

“We in Congress need to do our part to eliminate the laws used for the weaponization, including the FACE Act,” argued Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) in January. “Data my office obtained from Merrick Garland’s DOJ showed that 97% of FACE Act prosecutions from 1994-2024 were against pro-life Americans. Now that we have a Republican trifecta in the House, Senate, and White House, Congress should move quickly to repeal this law and ensure that no future president can weaponize it against pro-lifers ever again. No more excuses, let’s get it done.”

Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R.) is also a strong supporter of repealing the FACE Act, and the Heritage Foundation said for the first time this month that Congress should repeal the weaponized legislation.

“Its legislative history and record of enforcement, however, show that it is an ideological weapon designed to suppress ordinary pro-life activity and expression,” Heritage Foundation experts Thomas Jipping and Seth Lucas argued, concluding, “the FACE Act itself is the problem. It is irredeemable as policy and beyond Congress’ constitutional authority. Congress should repeal it.”