Mark Houck Wins Massive Settlement: FBI Raided His Home for Praying Outside Abortion Clinic

Pro Life Father Mark Houck Wins Million Dollar Settlement After Biden DOJ Sent Armed FBI Agents to His Home

Mark Houck, a Catholic father and pro life activist from Pennsylvania, has been awarded a seven figure settlement from the U.S. Department of Justice nearly four years after armed FBI agents raided his home at dawn, terrifying his wife and seven children.

The settlement, announced Thursday by the 40 Days for Life Institute of Law & Justice, comes after Houck and his wife Ryan Marie sued the DOJ for malicious prosecution, retaliatory prosecution, false arrest, abuse of process, and assault.

The ordeal began on October 13, 2021, when Houck and his 12 year old son were praying outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia. According to court testimony, a clinic escort began harassing the boy. When the escort followed and continued the confrontation, Houck pushed him away to protect his son. Local authorities had already dismissed the matter.

Nearly a year later, on September 23, 2022, approximately 20 armed FBI agents descended on the Houck family home in a pre dawn raid, arresting Houck at gunpoint in front of his wife and children. He was charged with two counts of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, facing up to 11 years in prison and $350,000 in fines.

Mark's family has been awarded over a million dollars for what they went through in the ridiculous raid of his home.

Shawn Carney, President of 40 Days for Life, said in a video statement.

In January 2023, a federal jury deliberated for less than one hour before acquitting Houck on all charges. The Houcks then filed a lawsuit seeking $1.1 million in damages.

Carney called the settlement "a huge victory for free speech" and revealed that during the Biden administration, 40 Days for Life was receiving "one to two inquiries from the FBI per week" at different locations nationwide. That targeting, he said, has now stopped.

Ryan Marie Houck reportedly suffered three miscarriages following the traumatic arrest and prosecution of her husband. The DOJ is now reportedly preparing a report concluding that the Biden administration "weaponized the FACE Act to advance a pro abortion agenda."

Mark Houck Settlement: Catholic Pro Life Activist Vindicated After Biden Era FBI Raid and FACE Act Prosecution

Pro life activists have identified DOJ prosecutor Sanjay Patel as the one who orchestrated the dramatic raid on the Houck home. The case became a rallying point for the pro life movement, drawing national attention to what critics called the selective enforcement of federal law against people of faith.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let this sink in. A father was praying outside an abortion clinic with his young son. His boy was harassed by an adult. He pushed the man away to protect his child. For that, the full weight of the federal government came crashing through his front door with guns drawn, traumatizing his wife and seven children. His wife suffered three miscarriages from the stress. All for a case that local authorities had already thrown out.

This was never about justice. This was about sending a message to every Christian in America: pray outside an abortion clinic and we will destroy your life. They wanted to make an example of Mark Houck. Instead, God made an example of them. A jury saw through the lies in under an hour, and now the government is writing a million dollar check for its own wickedness.

Every Christian who has ever been told to sit down, shut up, and stop praying should look at this case and find their courage.

Take Action

• Support the legal defense of persecuted Christians and pro life activists by donating to The Shepherd's Shield
• Join or support 40 Days for Life and their campaign to defend the right to pray peacefully outside abortion clinics
• Contact your elected representatives and demand accountability for the weaponization of federal agencies against people of faith. Find your representative at house.gov
• Support the Thomas More Society, the legal organization that has defended Mark Houck and other pro life activists targeted by the government
• Share this story with your church community and on social media to raise awareness about the persecution of pro life Christians in America