(LifeSiteNews) — On Friday September 23, 2022, LifeSiteNews broke the story that 25 FBI agents raided the home of Catholic pro-life speaker and author Mark Houck with guns drawn as his seven children watched “screaming.”
Over the weekend, LifeSite’s report went viral with no less than two dozen media organizations repeating the story and citing LifeSiteNews.
Brian Middleton, spokesperson for the Houck family, provided an exclusive update to LifeSiteNews editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen on Monday.
Middelton told LifeSiteNews that while Houck was released Friday afternoon, not long after the raid, his family is understandably still feeling traumatized, and are having difficulty finding legal assistance, which he and the Houcks had spent much of this past weekend trying to do.
In light of these events, LifeSite is launching a petition to support Mark Houck and his family during this terrible ordeal.
As explained in the petition:
- Mark Houck, a pro-life Catholic father of 7, became the latest victim of an FBI raid and arrest on the morning of Friday September 23 — for supposed FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act violations — at his rural Pennsylvania home as his children looked on “screaming.”
- The arrest and raid stemmed from an altercation with a Planned Parenthood worker last year.
- According to Mark’s wife Ryan-Marie, a “pro-abortion protester” repeatedly verbally harassed Mark’s 12-year old son — hurling vulgar and derogatory statements at the boy.
- When the protestor encroached in the boy’s space, Mark defended his son by shoving the man away from his child.
- The uninjured “protestor” had already brought the incident before the court, with a judge ultimately dismissing the case.
- If convicted, Houck faces up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000, according to the Justice Department.
LifeSite encourages everyone to share this petition widely and stand in solidarity with Mark Houck and his family.