Republicans are rushing to defend “pro-life” activist Mark Houck who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a72-year-old man outside the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center in Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 2021, notes The Independent:
Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow failed to mention the alleged assault, and tried to pretend that President Joe Biden and the FBI are punishing pro-life advocates.
It’s as if the Biden FBI is punishing pro-lifers for the overturning of Roe. But we’re not standing aside.
— Jay Sekulow (@JaySekulow) September 27, 2022
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) claimed on Fox News it was “overreach” to arrest Hauck, but failed to mention the alleged assault by Hauck, reports Rolling Stone:
Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, also blamed Biden and the FBI, but failed to mention the alleged assault, notes the Bucks County Courier News:
Dayle Steinberg, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Houck had terrorized patients outside the clinic for years with verbal assaults, intimidation tactics, and threats of violence:
(Sources: Twitter, The Independent, Bucks County Courier News via Yahoo News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rolling Stone)