Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) ripped into the Biden-Harris administration on Tuesday over the prosecution and conviction of 89-year-old pro-life activist Eva Edl.
Lee was reacting to the news that Edl and six other pro-life activists were convicted in federal court in Detroit late Tuesday morning of charges brought against them by the Biden administration accusing them of conspiracy against rights and violating the FACE Act. They could now be sentenced to over a decade in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines upon sentencing.
Edl, a devout Christian, was rounded up as a child and forced into a concentration camp by the forces of Yugoslavian communist dictator Josip Broz Tito in the aftermath of World War II. She later immigrated to the United States and became very active in pro-life activism across the country.
“Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are sending an elderly survivor of communist prison camps back to prison using the FACE Act against pro-lifers,” Lee posted on X. “Evil.”
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are sending an elderly survivor of communist prison camps back to prison using the FACE Act against pro-lifers.
Evil. https://t.co/IPjIS34ssC
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) August 20, 2024
Lee has repeatedly pointed out the disproportionate use of the FACE Act against pro-lifers and has introduced legislation multiple times in the Senate to repeal the Clinton-era law.
Fellow Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) has also pushed for the repeal of the FACE Act and reacted on Tuesday to the verdict out of Detroit.
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“89 year old woman who survived communist prison camp in Eastern Europe.. prosecuted by [Kamala Harris] regime… convicted – faces up to 10 years in prison. FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST OF ABORTION,” he posted on X.
89 year old woman who survived communist prison camp in Eastern Europe.. prosecuted by @KamalaHarris regime… convicted – faces up to 10 years in prison. FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST OF ABORTION. https://t.co/ieBFfVDblD
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) August 20, 2024
The other pro-lifers convicted on Tuesday include Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Joel Curry, Justin Phillips, Cal Zastrow, and his daughter Eva Zastrow.
The charges stemmed from a peaceful demonstration, which the defendants called a “Rescue,” where the group sat and stood outside of the Northland Family Planning Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, alongside a group of other pro-life activists. Edl and Idoni were convicted on an additional charge for a pro-life protest they attended at the Women’s Health Clinic in Saginaw, Michigan.
Each of the defendants pointed to their faith in Jesus as what motivated them to go to Northland to try persuade women from getting abortions.
Concluding arguments were made on Monday before the case was handed to the jury, which started deliberating Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time. The jury, composed of seven women and five men, took around 3.5 hours to find them all guilty.
A sentencing date has not yet been set as the lawyers have an opportunity to make briefings to Judge Matthew Leitman, who oversaw the case, to dismiss it.