Pro-life activist Mark Houck pleads not guilty to federal charges after FBI arrest

Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Tuesday after the FBI arrested him at his home in rural Pennsylvania last week in connection to an alleged altercation with an abortion escort outside an abortion clinic in October 2021. 

Houck has been accused of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate and interfere with anyone because that person produces reproductive health care. He pleaded not guilty to two counts on Tuesday.

His attorney, Peter Breen, said that the case already made its way through the state court process and was thrown out, but the Biden Department of Justice took up the matter nearly a year later as a form of “political prosecution.” Of the estimated 20 FBI agents who came to Houck’s home, Breen said the DOJ is treating the peaceful father “as if he was a drug lord or a mafia boss.”

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Pro-life activist Mark Houck, second from left, leaves federal court in Philadelphia after pleading not guilty to two counts associated with an alleged attack of an escort outside an abortion clinic in 2021.
(Fox News Channel)

“It put officers’ lives in danger. It put the Houck family in danger. And it was an utter waste of judicial resources and taxpayer resources,” Breen said. 

Breen said his team contacted the DOJ and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in June to inform them they had no case based on controlling precedent but if they decided to indict, defense would present Houck willingly in response to a summons. Breen said the next notice he received was that his client was in custody.  

“This is a political prosecution,” Breen said. “And what’s clear from the Department of Justice at its highest levels which is directing this case that they are trying to send a message to pro-life and people of faith – ‘don’t mess with us.’ They want to intimidate — they want to cause good people like Mark to stop praying and counseling at the abortion clinics of our country. And that’s not going to happen.” 

The U.S. government alleges that Houck assaulted and “forcefully shoved”  Bruce Love, a 72-year-old volunteer at a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood. Meanwhile, Houck’s wife claims that 25-30 agents raided her home with “guns drawn” on the family, and in front of her children put Houck in “shackles.”

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“What in the world would possess the Department of Justice to send 20 or so heavily armed agents to this family’s home, violate the sanctity of that home, frighten the children and then drag their father away instead of allowing us to present him peacefully – which we had offered to do?” Breen said on Tuesday.