(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense for details of U.S. Army training materials that designate pro-life organizations or individuals as “terrorists” (Judicial Watch Inc. v U.S. Department of Defense (No 1:24-cv-02895).
Judicial Watch filed suit in the District Court for the District of Columbia after the Department of the Army failed to respond to an August 13, 2024, FOIA request for:
- All documents related to the designation of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) or any other pro-life organizations or individuals as “terrorists” in anti-terrorism training materials used by Fort Liberty as discussed in media reports, such as https://www.wral.com/story/fort-liberty-responds-to-slide-callinganti-abortion-groups-terrorist-organizations/21520553/.
- All emails of Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo, Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, and/or Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus regarding the designation of pro-life groups or individuals as “terrorists.”
Judicial Watch made a subsequent FOIA request to Special Command Operations, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Liberty, NC, a component of the Army, for:
- Records related to the designation of the National Right to Life Committee or any other pro-life organization as “terrorists” in anti-terrorism training materials used by Fort Liberty.
- All emails of Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox regarding the designation of pro-life groups as “terrorists” in Army training material.
A photo reportedly circulating on social media shows one slide from a presentation used to train soldiers. The slide, titled “Terrorist Groups,” lists several groups, including National Right to Life and Operation Rescue, and “opponents of Roe v. Wade.” The Army responded to the news report, saying the material had not been vetted correctly.
“Let’s be blunt – the radical leftist Biden-Harris administration is trying to set our military against conservative American citizens,” Judicial Watch Tom Fitton said. “And that we have had to sue after being denied basic records about the Army’s targeting of pro-life Christians makes the scandal worse.”
In his new book Rights and Freedoms in Peril, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton details a long chain of abuses officials and politicians have made against the American people and calls readers to battle for “the soul and survival of America.” The book details how the progressive movement threatens America’s most venerable institutions, undermining the core principles that make this country a beacon of hope to the world.
Earlier this month Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department of Defense for records regarding the U.S. Air Force Academy’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans.
In June 2024, Judicial Watch sued the Defense Department for records regarding the deletion of the words “Duty, Honor, Country” from the United States Military Academy at West Point’s mission statement.
In March 2023, records obtained by Judicial Watch from the Department of Defense showed the Air Force Academy has made race and gender instruction a top priority in the training of cadets.
In July 2023, Judicial Watch exposed records from the United States Air Force Academy, a component of the United States Department of Defense, which included instructional materials and emails that address topics such as Critical Race Theory, “white privilege,” and Black Lives Matter.
In July 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Department of Defense for records related to the United States Naval Academy (USNA) implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the training of naval recruits.
In June, Judicial Watch received records revealing Critical Race Theory instruction at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point One training slide contains a graphic titled “MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN THE USA.” [Emphasis in original].
