Catholic pro-life activist raided by the FBI last year acquitted of federal charges; Updated

The Biden administration hasn’t been shy about enforcing the FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances), which prevents protesters from interfering with women entering abortion clinics. In September 2022, a Catholic activist had 20 FBI agents sent to his house to arrest him for allegedly pushing to the ground an elderly clinic escort … almost a year earlier, on October 13, 2021. Local authorities had looked into it, and there was a threat of a lawsuit by the man who says he was pushed … but nearly a year later, the FBI came to his door and arrested him.

How’s the FBI doing finding the criminals who firebombed and vandalized crisis pregnancy centers and churches last year?

The Daily Wire reports that Mark Houck has been acquitted of federal charges.

This case was thrown out of state court but revived by the Biden admin a year after the incident. Some 20 FBI agents raided Houck’s home when they arrested him, treating him “as if he was a drug lord or a mafia boss.” He was just acquitted of fed charges. https://t.co/X0skelGI0q

— Nick Short ‎‎ (@PoliticalShort) January 30, 2023

Ashe Schow writes:

A Catholic pro-life activist facing 11 years in prison for allegedly violating a federal law prohibiting people from blocking others from entering an abortion clinic was acquitted on Monday following a week-long trial.

Mark Houck leads a nonprofit group that counsels women outside of abortion clinics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was providing sidewalk counseling when, the Department of Justice says, he assaulted an abortion escort twice “because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort.”

…

[Thomas More Society vice president Peter] Breen told [Fox News] that the case was thrown out of state court but revived by the Biden administration nearly a year after the incident. Further, Breen said, some 20 FBI agents raided Houck’s home when they arrested him, treating him “as if he was a drug lord or a mafia boss.”

“If he was truly a danger to the community, they wouldn’t have waited a year to prosecute,” Breen said. “Serious questions need to be asked of the attorney general. What was he thinking? Why did they do this obscene show of force against a peaceful pillar of the community?”