CV NEWS FEED // Two religious pro-life organizations sued the state of Washington last week for unconstitutionally and illegally investigating their private records.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a publicly pro-abortion advocate, recently issued civil investigative demands that require Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups to answer questions regarding patients’ records and activities. Both organizations are Christian pro-life nonprofits that provide medical and educational care to pregnant women, mothers, fathers, and families.
Ferguson singled out the two groups for investigation based on their pro-life and Christian status, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization representing Obria and Obria Medical.
In response, Obria and Obria Medical sued Ferguson on November 30, requesting preliminary and final injunctions against the attorney general and compensation for legal fees.
“The attorney general’s investigation does not appear to be based on a complaint or other substantive evidence of wrongdoing,” ADF stated in a press release. “[It] is rather an exploratory probe into the lawful activities, constitutionally protected speech and associations, and nonpublic internal communications and records of two organizations that hold a disfavored view on a matter of public policy.”
Ferguson’s investigation would uncover records and private information from January 1, 2010 until the present, “which would sweep up massive amounts of information and confidential internal communications and documents that are unrelated to the attorney general’s stated purpose for the investigation, or beyond the statute of limitations,” according to ADF.
ADF also reported that dozens of other organizations in Washington contain similar internal information, but have not been required to give it up to Ferguson.
“Such unreasonably overbroad, invasive, selective, and burdensome investigative demands violate the pro-life organizations’ rights protected by the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and should stop,” ADF said.
