Senator Calls for Investigation into Abortion Pill Shipping

A Republican senator has raised concerns about a group that claims to be a public health information campaign but may serve as a hub for shipping abortion pills into states where they are banned. In a criminal referral obtained by Fox News Digital, Sen. Josh Hawley has requested that the Justice Department investigate Plan C.

In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Hawley accuses Plan C of acting as a ‘left-wing dark-money operation’. He states the group functions as a ‘referral and logistics hub’ for distributing abortion drugs into states with prohibitive laws. Hawley argues these actions warrant a federal criminal investigation.

‘At the center of the effort is an entity called Plan C,’ Hawley wrote.

Hawley points out that Plan C directs women in states such as Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas to foreign clinics that are willing to mail abortion pills into the United States, despite local regulations. He also mentions that the group connects users with online vendors selling drugs without prescriptions or medical consultations. The website of Plan C acknowledges that some pills sold through these vendors are ‘not regulated or inspected by the US government’.

The senator’s letter also notes that Plan C provides advice on minimizing one’s ‘digital footprint’. The group recommends privacy-focused browsers, virtual private networks, and encrypted email services. Despite these warnings, Plan C states on its website that obtaining abortion pills through their services may lead to legal consequences.

Additionally, Hawley highlights Plan C’s practice of directing women to providers who prescribe abortion pills beyond 14 weeks of pregnancy, exceeding the Food and Drug Administration’s approved guidelines and the legal limits set by several states.

Hawley claims the conduct potentially violates several federal laws. These include provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, laws against the importation of unapproved drugs, and federal conspiracy statutes.

‘I therefore respectfully refer this matter to the Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C,’ Hawley wrote, urging the inclusion of foreign clinics and online vendors in the investigation.