Republican lawmakers are demanding "public and transparent accountability" from the FBI after more than a dozen agents with guns raided the home of a pro-life Christian activist in Pennsylvania, arresting him last weekend using "SWAT-style tactics".
As CBN's Faithwire reported, The FBI used a major show of force to arrest Mark Houck, 48, with a swarm of agents reportedly descending on his home with guns drawn as Houck's wife and children watched in horror.
The raid came despite the fact that Houck's attorney Peter Breen says they had offered back in June for Houck to turn himself in to authorities if required.
"We responded in writing... 'If you are going to indict regardless, we will present our client. Please just send us a summons and we will bring him.' We did that in June. Made phone calls to the U.S. Attorney. Nothing returned. Next we hear, this Friday morning, is our client is in custody," Breen told The Glenn Beck radio show.
Instead of handling the potential investigation peacefully, the FBI raided Houck's home with overwhelming force, terrorizing his wife and children in the process.
His wife Ryan-Marie told LifeSite News that her husband had even pleaded with the agent who was at the door. "'Please, I'm going to open the door, but, please, my children are in the home. I have seven babies in the house.' But they just kept pounding and screaming," she said.
She added that they "had big, huge rifles pointed at Mark and pointed at me and kind of pointed throughout the house."
Houck was arrested on Friday for allegedly shoving 72-year-old Planned Parenthood volunteer, Bruce Love, last October. The family says Love aggressively approached their 12-year-old son and began making obscene comments. Houck intervened and pushed Love to protect his son. Authorities were called, but there was not enough evidence to pursue the altercation further. Love did file a criminal complaint against Houck, but failed to show up in court.
Nearly a year later, Houck was arrested by federal agents in the incident that terrified his family. He's being accused of violating the FACE Act, which protects abortion clinics, but he was released later that afternoon.
GOP Lawmakers Outraged at FBI's 'Extreme' Tactics
Now, Republican lawmakers are asking for answers from the FBI about the "extreme" raid.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking why the Biden administration "is arresting Catholic protestors like terrorists - complete with SWAT-style tactics - while letting actual terrorist acts like firebombings go unpunished."
I want to know from Merrick Garland directly why Biden’s DOJ is arresting Catholic protestors like terrorists - complete with SWAT-style tactics - while letting actual terrorist acts like firebombings go unpunished pic.twitter.com/tU1Jwe4c7h
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 26, 2022
"Not only did your office turn a local dispute into a national case, but the FBI reportedly executed the search warrant in as extreme a manner as one can imagine," Hawley wrote. "Reports state that the FBI sent as many as 20 to 25 agents to conduct the arrest. And the FBI allegedly arrested Houck at gunpoint early in the morning in front of his seven children."
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
"Using this kind of force to make an arrest for a single charge of simple assault is unprecedented," he added.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted that the raid was "absurd" and a "blatant, partisan abuse of power".
This is absurd.
A blatant, partisan abuse of power.#JusticeCorrupted https://t.co/si3OZJtc36
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 25, 2022
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said the arrest was an "overreach".
This appears to be nothing less than a brazen continuation of the abuse of power by federal authorities against average American citizens that must stop," Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) told The Daily Signal.
"We owe the American people congressional hearings to provide public and transparent accountability for any and all wrongdoing," he continued. "Even further, the FBI needs a complete and total overhaul to return primary law enforcement power to the states and to get the Bureau out of the business of politics once and for all."
FBI Targets Single Pro-Life Protester, Makes No Arrests After Dozens of Pro-Abortion Attacks
Lawmakers and citizens are wondering why the FBI raided Houck's home but still have not arrested or prosecuted anyone in connection to the more than 140 incidences of firebombing and vandalism on pro-life centers.
"Nobody responsible for the nearly 100 attacks, including firebombs and vandalism, on pro-life pregnancy centers has been charged by the DOJ," wrote Greg Price, Senior Digital Strategist at XStrategiesLLC. "But a pro-life activist who pushed a Planned Parenthood volunteer threatening his son is now facing 11 years in jail. Two-tiers of justice."
"Despite my repeated requests, you still have not identified a single prosecution the Department of Justice has taken in response to this epidemic of violence against pro-life Americans," Sen. Hawley told Attorney General Garland.
A spokesperson from the FBI's Philadelphia field office told Fox News that their raid was not an actual SWAT raid against Houck. "No SWAT Team or SWAT operators were involved. FBI agents knocked on Mr. Houck's front door, identified themselves as FBI agents, and asked him to exit the residence," they said. "He did so and was taken into custody without incident pursuant to an indictment."
The family disputes that meek and mild description of the arrest.
A recent statement from the agency said the "number of personnel and vehicles widely reported as being on scene Friday is an overstatement", but they did not specify the number of agents or whether or not guns were drawn.
"The corruption & abuse of law is out of control," Hawley tweeted. "Come January, the new Republican Congress must launch a thorough, public investigation of DOJ & the FBI - from their targeting of parents to religious protestors to political opponents. What Biden is doing is wrong. And dangerous."
"You've got all these instances of overreach and it's concerning to us all," he told Fox News. "These are all things we ought to be looking into."
What is faith and what does the Bible say about faith? Click here for answers.
Need prayer? We’re available 24/7. Call (800) 700-7000 or request prayer.
Learn why Truth Matters at CBN News.Did you know?
God is everywhere—even in the news. That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1.
Support CBN News
