During Tuesday’s installment of Attorney General-designate Jeff Sessions’ Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Dick Blumenthal (D-Ct.) said things about Operation Rescue and its president, Troy Newman, that were patently false.
Blumenthal described Operation Rescue as a group that advocates for the execution of abortion providers. He first displayed a “wanted” poster targeting abortion provider George Tiller, which he falsely attributed to Operation Rescue.
It’s not clear who produced the poster Blumenthal displayed in the hearting, but previous similar posters were created by Operation Save America founder Flip Benham. While those do say “WANTED” at the top, they also conclude with “by Jesus.”
But he wasn’t finished there.
Blumenthal then accused Operation Rescue of calling for Tiller’s murderer, Scott Roeder, to be treated as a political prisoner. While Roeder, who received a new sentence in November, claimed affiliation with the organization, Operation Rescue—which has always advocated for peaceful protest—immediately condemned the murder.
There’s no evidence that anyone has ever suggested Roeder should be “treated as a political prisoner.”
In a statement following the hearing, Operation Rescue demanded that Blumenthal retract the comments. It also demanded a public apology on behalf of its president, Troy Newman, who issued his own comment about the statements.
“That was a cheap shot by a hack politician who thinks he can lie about us with impunity and without consequences in order to advance his political agenda,” said Newman. “We are considering legal action to protect our good reputation.”
