FBI Director: 70% of Investigations Opened Since Dobbs were Attacks on Pro-Life Centers

CV NEWS FEED // FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress on Wednesday that 70% of abortion-related investigations his Bureau has opened since the Dobbs decision are in response to attacks on pro-life centers.

Wray was responding to Rep. Deborah Ross, D-NC, who made an allegation of violence against so-called “reproductive facilities.” He told the House Judiciary Committee: 

On the abortion side…I would be remiss if I didn’t also point out that there has been a pretty significant uptick in violence on the other way since the Dobbs decision.

“In fact,” Wray continued, “most of the investigations that we have opened since the Dobbs decision – probably about 70% of them – have been violence against pro-life facilities.”

The FBI director then referred to the March arrest of a man charged with firebombing the Wisconsin Family Action in May 2022. 

“We’re out there with communities across the spectrum,” he ensured.

CatholicVote President Brian Burch responded to the director’s testimony. “After months and months of pressure from CatholicVote and others, Wray has admitted – for the second time – under oath that pro-life Americans are under siege from pro-abortion radicals. But the real question now is what will be done to put a stop to the violence.”

>> TRACKER: ATTACKS ON PREGNANCY CENTERS AND PRO-LIFE GROUPS <<

In November 2022, Wray used the same 70% figure when testifying to Congress about attacks on pro-life facilities – indicating that the numbers have not improved over the past eight months. 

Replying at that hearing to Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL, the FBI director said that since Dobbs, “probably in the neighborhood of 70% of our abortion-related violence cases or threats cases are cases of violence or threats against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and other pro-life organizations.”

Wray’s admission comes in contrast to the left’s common narrative that pro-life activists purportedly inflict violence on abortion facilities. A May report from the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice titled “Recent Cases on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers” details “federal prosecutions of recent cases of violence and other conduct directed at reproductive health care providers.”

Notably, the first case on the list concerned four pro-abortion rioters who vandalized multiple pro-life pregnancy resource centers in Florida. Every other attack listed in the report dealt with cases of pro-life activists who were charged with violating the FACE Act, including the case of Mark Houck, who was acquitted of his charges in January. 

“We will not let up the pressure until Catholics and pro-life Americans can worship and serve the needy in peace,” emphasized Burch. 

Read more: FBI Refuses CatholicVote’s FOIA Request