FBI Posts $25K Award Five Months After Pro-Life Center Firebombing, Says Suspects Potentially Violated FACE Act 

On June 7, shortly after someone leaked the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, shadowy suspects threw Molotov cocktails into a New York pro-life center and scrawled, “Jane was here” on the side of the building — a slogan used to pay fealty to the radical pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge.

Five months after the attack and a week after the midterm elections, in which abortion played a central role, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Buffalo announced a $25,000 reward to anyone who can give the agency information leading to arrests in the firebombing of CompassCare Pregnancy Services’ located in Amherst. The announcement comes after the FBI said in June that it was investigating a wave of attacks against pro-life centers across the country, but as of early October, the FBI had not confirmed whether any arrests had been made in attacks against at least 83 Catholic churches and 73 pregnancy resource centers and organizations.

The FBI says the suspects in the Buffalo attack violated Destruction by Means of a Fire or Explosive, “which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison,” as well as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE Act) — a law that the FBI has recently used to arrest several pro-life activists.

In its own statement on Monday, CompassCare alleged that “this is the only public action taken by the FBI for any of the victims” in “over 150 attacks on pro-life organizations nationwide since the leak of the Dobbs case on May 2.” The organization also noted that the FBI posting comes less than a week after the midterms and following a 1,050-page report from the House Judiciary Committee “outlining extensive Department of Justice and FBI politicization.”

James Harden, president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services said:

Let’s not be too hasty to sing the praises of the FBI. This may be nothing more than an attempt to appear evenhanded, bolstering their reputation ahead of more investigations by the House Judiciary Committee into the FBI’s abdication of duty to investigate violence against pro-life organizations.

“If they are serious about finding the perpetrators, they will offer a $25K reward for each of the 150 pro-life organizations that have been attacked—3.75 million dollars,” he continued.

The FBI said that the Amherst Police Department received a 911 call at approximately 2:45 a.m. about a fire at the CompassCare Center.

“Individual(s) had thrown Molotov cocktails at the Center. This started a fire that caused significant damage. One of the individuals spray-painted the words “Jane was here” on the building, as well. The FBI believes the individuals drove a 2013-2016 red or orange Dodge Dart sedan. Suspect 1 in the FBI’s Seeking Information poster is estimated to be approximately 5’11,” the FBI detailed.

CompassCare said the attack injured two firefighters and caused half a million dollars in damage. 

As Breitbart news previously reported, Harden provided the FBI with surveillance footage and a “mountain of other evidence” shortly after the attack. However, Harden could not copy the footage before giving it to law enforcement because of damage to the building. Harden has asked the FBI and local law enforcement for access to the footage, but they only showed him still images taken from the video.

After months of no action being taken against the attack’s perpetrators, he filed a lawsuit asking a judge to order law enforcement to turn over the footage, Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported.

“Time is of the essence to commence a civil litigation because the longer time goes by the more likely it will be that those responsible for the firebombing will spoliate other evidence,” the complaint reads.

On Oct. 26, Judge Edward Pace of the New York State Supreme Court of Erie County heard oral arguments in the lawsuit against the Amherst Police Department. While Pace denied the return of the video surveillance, he said it was “not the final order” and set another hearing date for January 17.  

And while the attack against CompassCare appeared to receive little law enforcement attention until this week, CompassCare was under investigation itself due to one of several pro-abortion measures signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on June 13, CNA reported.

According to the report:

[The measure] authorizes the state’s commissioner of health, currently Dr. Mary T. Bassett, to conduct an in-depth study of pro-life pregnancy centers like CompassCare that don’t provide abortion services. The probe will assess the impact that so-called ‘limited service pregnancy centers’ have on women’s access to ‘accurate, non-coercive health care information’ and ‘a comprehensive range of reproductive and sexual health care services,’ the legislation states. A final report is due in December 2023.

Harden told CNA that the state wanted him to submit information on CompassCare’s service processes, patients, donors, affiliates and more. 

“They want to know anything and everything. They want an open book,” Harden said, noting at the time that he did not intend to comply. “It’s absolutely ironic and crazy.”

Breitbart News reached out to the FBI for comment but did not receive a reply by time of publication.