WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a press release Thursday announcing a $25,000 reward for information related to damage caused to several pro-life pregnancy centers. The announcement comes months after a wave of attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers and churches began after the initial Dobbs decision leak last May.
The announcement also mentioned attacks on so-called ‘reproductive health clinics’, reflecting the FBI director’s attitude that the Bureau is “equal-opportunity’ when it comes to “abortion-related violence.”
“The FBI is seeking the public’s help to identify the individual(s) responsible for a series of attacks and threats targeting reproductive health service facilities across the country,” the press release began. “As part of a national awareness effort, the FBI is offering rewards of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for these crimes.”
Included in the press release was a statement by FBI Director Christopher Wray that the “announcement reflects the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country.”
You can read a quote from #FBI Director Christopher Wray about today’s announcement below. https://t.co/3c1bfyOzzG pic.twitter.com/dnUFnJqYQu
— FBI (@FBI) January 19, 2023
“We will continue to work closely with our national, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold responsible anyone who uses extremist views to justify their criminal actions,” Wray concluded.
According to the agency, the attacks can be investigated as “potential acts of domestic violent extremism, Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) violations, or violent crime matters, depending on the facts of each case.”
Also included with the press release were posters and information related to attacks and an attempted attack against pro-life pregnancy centers subject to FBI investigation in Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington state, and Wisconsin. Another poster was related to an attack against a Planned Parenthood facility in California in March 2022.
The FBI asks that anyone with information about the attacks call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), contact their local FBI office, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. All tipsters can remain anonymous if they choose.
When asked by the Daily Signal why the agency waited for months to offer rewards for information related to the attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers, a spokesperson from the FBI said, “The FBI leverages numerous investigative tools when conducting an investigation. Over time, some of our investigations may fall out of the public’s awareness. These rewards are being announced to bring increased public attention to these incidents with the goal of generating additional investigative leads for the FBI to pursue.”
RELATED: Firebombed pregnancy center questions why violence by abortion backers continues to go unpunished
The press release followed an announcement by CompassCare, a Buffalo-area pro-life pregnancy center firebombed last June by Jane’s Revenge, a pro-abortion terrorist organization, that it was hiring private investigators to look into the incident. CompassCare alleged that the FBI was “slow moving” and only “feign[ed] interest” in the investigation, Breitbart reported.
In November, the FBI released a video, along with some photographs, related to the attack against the CompassCare pregnancy center, offering the same reward for information related to the incident.
CompassCare CEO Rev. Jim Harden said in a statement regarding the private investigation “If the FBI is interested in quelling the nationwide hate crimes against Christian pro-life organizations, they would offer a reward for information leading to the arrests of all 78 attacks, not just for the pro-abortion terrorists who firebombed our facility.”
Shortly after the leak of the Dobbs decision in May last year, pro-abortion terrorist group Ruth Sent Us threatened to interrupt Sunday services at Catholic churches the following Sunday and desecrate the Blessed Sacrament. Meanwhile, attacks against churches and pro-life pregnancy centers began in the days immediately after the leak.
Ruth Sent Us also published the addresses of the homes of the conservative Supreme Court Justices. After a man attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in June, the group mocked the judge and his family on Twitter, insinuating that it knew where his daughters attended school.
That same month, while the attacks on pregnancy centers and churches were ongoing, Jane’s Revenge announced an “open season” for pro-lifers and pro-life organizations, promising to escalate violence against pro-lifers. Four days after Jane’s Revenge made its announcement, the FBI announced that it was investigating several arson attacks committed by pro-abortion terrorists against pro-life pregnancy centers and churches.
CatholicVote, a group dedicated to inspiring Catholics to act in public life, has kept track of the number of attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches since the attacks began last summer. To date, the organization has counted 78 attacks against pregnancy centers and 116 attacks against Catholic churches since the initial leak.
The most recent attack listed by CatholicVote was perpetrated near Detroit days before Christmas against the Pregnancy Aid center, which was daubed with graffiti reading “liars,” “fake clinic,” and “Jane’s Revenge.” Also vandalized was the home of a member of the center’s board, with the threat “Jeanne, if abortions aren’t safe neither are you!” spraypainted on the garage. The home also suffered a broken window and graffiti on the doorbell.
RELATED: Pro-abortion Jane’s Revenge vandalizes pro-life pregnancy center, board member’s home in Michigan
The FBI has yet to confirm that it has made any arrests in connection with the violence targeting pro-lifers and pro-life organizations. Meanwhile, the agency has targeted pro-life activists with FACE Act violations for peacefully blocking entrances to abortion mills in 2021.
The FBI has also carried out armed raids of two pro-life activist fathers: Mark Houck in Pennsylvania and Paul Vaughn in Tennessee, who were both charged with FACE Act violations. Vaughn’s charge stems from accusations he blocked the entrance to an abortion clinic, and Houck’s charge came after he shoved a man who Houck said was harassing his son, getting in his “personal space” with “disgusting” remarks.
During a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security Committee last November, Wray admitted to Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott that 70% of abortion related violence following the Dobbs decision was targeted against pro-life groups.
When asked by Scott about accusations that the FBI did not commit resources to help pro-life organizations in the face of escalating violence, Wray said “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.” He added that the agency had 20 field offices investigating arson attacks against pro-life groups.