'I Truly Hate These People': FBI Called to Account for Texts Ridiculing Pro-Lifers
CAUTION to our readers: Strong language referenced in this story.
WASHINGTON - Some pro-life organizations want an investigation to root out bias against pro-life activists inside the FBI.
The call comes after more text messages between former bureau agents Peter Stzok and Lisa Page were declassified.
Messages sent during the 2016 March for Life show the pair's hatred for pro-life activists and a desire to cancel their march permit.
"****ing marchers making traffic problems," texted Stzok.
"Yeah, some extremely offensive video screens set up in front of the district. Blood and guts and gore. I truly hate these people. ***holes," responded Page.
"Hey I have an idea," wrote Stzok, "Snow emergency, cancel the permit."
The text messages were declassified as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election.
"These are stunning comments for any public official to make, but they are unconscionable when made by a high ranking member of the world's premier law enforcement agency who should be protecting the First Amendment and not seeking to crush it," writes Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Six other pro-life organizations signed on to the letter, including Created Equal.
"From the unwillingness to investigate Planned Parenthood's baby body part scandal to these new troubling revelations, there is emerging evidence of institutional corruption and bias regarding anti-abortion activists within President Obama's Department of Justice and FBI," says Created Equal President Mark Harrington in a statement.
"To put this in context, Director Wray," Rev. Mahoney continues in his letter, "Could you imagine the outrage and anger of the civil rights community if members of the FBI described them as "****ing marchers" and "***holes" and went on to state they hated them and wanted to "cancel the permit" to their protected First Amendment rights? Of course, if these words were used to describe members of the gay, women's or immigration rights communities, there would be equal and justified anger and mistrust."
To establish trust between the pro-life community and the FBI, the groups are requesting a face-to-face meeting with Wray to discuss their concerns.
Mahoney says there are now serious questions about whether pro-life activists can expect to be treated fairly by the FBI and whether the bureau will conduct a "credible and unbiased" investigation of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers for their role in trafficking human remains.
"We demand assurances from the Department of Justice and FBI that there is no institutional political bias toward anti-abortion activists at the highest levels of law enforcement," Mark Harrington continued.
