Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson (Left)
CV NEWS FEED // Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has dropped his investigation of two Christian pro-life pregnancy centers, following a lawsuit filed against him by the organizations that claimed the investigation was targeted and unconstitutional.
CatholicVote previously reported that Ferguson, a pro-abortion advocate, had demanded an investigation of the pro-life organizations, Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups. Ferguson claimed that the investigation was to check for possible violations of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, but only Obria and Obria Medical—and not the dozens of similar organizations in the state—were targeted.
The investigation would have uncovered records and private information from 2010 to the present. Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a nonprofit law firm, Obria and Obria Medical sued 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 stated at the time.
According to a news release from ADF, Ferguson later closed the investigation.
“Ferguson had previously denied that his investigation caused the clinics any harm and had said this precluded the federal court from hearing the clinics’ claims,” the news release states. “But after one of the clinics showed that Ferguson’s investigation caused it to lose insurance coverage and to pay seven times more for replacement coverage, Ferguson issued an official letter closing his investigation.”
Ferguson’s letter also states that he will not pursue litigation against the clinics.
ADF celebrated Ferguson’s dismissal of the investigation in the news release.
“No one should be investigated by the government simply because they hold views the government doesn’t like. We’re pleased Washington’s attorney general has ceased his unlawful investigation into our clients, and that Obria Group and Obria Medical Clinics PNW will be free to continue their life-saving work in the community,” ADF Senior Counsel Lincoln Wilson stated in the news release, adding:
We look forward to a ruling from the court confirming that the attorney general unlawfully targeted and harassed these clinics because of their pro-life stance. The Constitution protects Obria medical clinics, and all other pro-life organizations, to freely speak their beliefs, exercise their faith, and continue compassionately serving women and couples facing difficult pregnancy circumstances.
