Senator Moreno Urges DOJ Action on Abortion Pill Policy

Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio has made allegations against a policy from the Biden administration, which he claims enabled a serious incident involving one of his constituents. He is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure such situations do not occur again.

Incident Details

Dr. Hassan Abbas, a physician in Ohio, recently received a sentence for identity fraud and deception to obtain a dangerous drug. Prosecutors alleged he used his estranged wife’s personal details to acquire abortion pills via mail, and forced them on his girlfriend, who was previously his patient. She had disclosed her pregnancy, not wanting to have an abortion. She stated that Abbas held her down and made her consume the pills against her will.

“I write to you today, Attorney General Blanche, to respectfully request that you do everything in your power to ensure this depravity never happens again to a woman and their unborn child,” Moreno wrote.

Policy in Question

The policy Moreno refers to is a change in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy by the Biden administration’s FDA in 2023. This allowed the abortion-inducing drug, mifepristone, to be prescribed via telehealth and delivered through the mail. Moreno argues this facilitated Abbas’s actions since he could remotely acquire the drugs instead of needing to go to a clinic, medical office, or hospital in person.

Previously, mifepristone required dispensing in person at specific medical facilities. Moreno suggests that the removal of this requirement allowed Abbas to misuse his estranged wife’s identity to obtain the medication fraudulently.

Legal Challenges and Call for Action

The state of Louisiana is contesting the FDA’s rule in court, arguing that eliminating the in-person dispensing requirement was improper. The case is still in progress, and current rules permitting mail shipment of the drug are maintained for now.

“Without ever setting foot inside a pharmacy, Mr. Abbas procured the mail-order abortion drugs fraudulently using his estranged wife’s name,” Moreno emphasized.

Senator Moreno seeks action from Attorney General Todd Blanche to expedite the Louisiana case outcome such that the requirement for mifepristone’s in-person dispensing is reinstated while the FDA continues its review.

Outcry Over Sentencing

Abbas received a plea deal leading to a sentence of six months in jail and two years of probation, which Senator Moreno finds unsatisfactory.

“What makes this even worse is that Mr. Hassan Abbas was only sentenced to six months of jail time and two years of probation,” Moreno stated.

He is pressing the DOJ to review the case and consider whether federal charges are necessary.