WASHINGTON, DC—America First Legal has filed petitions against two abortion funds in Texas that have admitted to paying for abortions in violation of the Texas Heartbeat Act.
Last week, AFL served papers on Neesha Davé, the Deputy Director of the Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, and Kamyon Conner, the Executive Director of the Texas Equal Access Fund, after each of them admitted in court that their organizations had paid for an abortion of an unborn child that had a detectable heartbeat.
The Texas Heartbeat Act imposes civil liability on any person who aids or abets an abortion performed after fetal heartbeat, and anyone found to have assisted a post-heartbeat abortion must pay at least $10,000 in statutory damages plus costs and attorneys’ fees. It is also a criminal offense in Texas to “furnish the means for procuring an abortion knowing the purpose intended” unless the mother’s life is in danger, and anyone convicted of paying for another’s abortion faces two to five years imprisonment for each abortion that they funded.
America First Legal is seeking to take depositions of Davé and Conner to determine which individuals are subject to civil liability and criminal prosecution for paying these illegal abortions, which will include employees, volunteers, and donors of the Lilith Fund and the Texas Equal Access Fund.
America First Legal President Stephen Miller released the following statement:
“America First legal is proud to be part of the legal team that successfully defended the Texas Heartbeat Act, including before the Supreme Court of the United States. As a civil rights organization, we strongly advocate for the inalienable right to life—including the right of all children to reach their full God-given potential. For this reason, we are seeking court-ordered discovery against organizations who have admitted their role in aiding and abetting abortions in violation of the Act. We will maintain the rule of law and protect the right to life,” Stephen Miller said.
Read the petitions here and here.
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