Trump DOJ Fires Four Prosecutors in FACE Act Cases After Bias Report
Justice Department dismissed four prosecutors who handled pro-life activist cases under FACE Act following report alleging weaponized enforcement under Biden.
The Trump Justice Department fired four prosecutors who handled cases resulting in prison sentences for pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, following a departmental report alleging the Biden administration weaponized the federal law.
The dismissals came after DOJ released findings Tuesday based on a review of more than 700,000 internal records. The report alleged Biden-era prosecutors coordinated with abortion-rights groups to identify activists, sought harsher sentences for pro-life defendants, and withheld evidence from defense attorneys in some cases.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the firings aim to end what he called a "two-tiered system of justice." The department "will not tolerate" selective prosecution based on beliefs, Blanche stated, vowing that "the weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again."
The internal review found pro-life defendants received average sentences of 26.8 months compared to 12.3 months for pro-abortion defendants. Assistant Attorney General Daniel Burrows called the enforcement pattern "shameful" behavior used to advance "pro-abortion special interests."
According to the report, prosecutors attempted to screen out jurors based on religious beliefs and pursued aggressive arrest tactics rather than allowing defendants to voluntarily surrender. The review cited the case of pro-life activist Mark Houck, where prosecutors declined his request to self-surrender and instead authorized a dawn raid at his home.
The Justice Department's rapid response account confirmed on X that DOJ "has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department." The four dismissed prosecutors were specifically tied to cases that resulted in prison time for pro-life activists.
The FACE Act, passed in 1994, was designed to protect access to both abortion clinics and pregnancy resource centers. The Trump administration's review suggests enforcement became one-sided under Biden, with prosecutors allegedly working directly with abortion advocacy groups to identify targets for prosecution.
The personnel moves signal a broader DOJ overhaul of FACE Act enforcement under the new administration. Trump officials are reviewing additional cases and prosecutorial decisions from the Biden era as they work to restore what they term "integrity to our prosecutorial system."