A Leading Anti-Abortion Zealot Just Quit the FBI

Andrew Bailey, once the co-No. 2 at the FBI, has announced his resignation from the agency at the end of the week. The decision, reported by MS NOW, came as a disappointment to Bailey's ultra-right allies. The reason behind Bailey's departure was reportedly his need to spend more time with his family. In a follow-up post on X, Bailey explained his decision, citing the importance of spending more quality time with his loved ones.

Bailey's history of aggressive investigations into abortion providers in Missouri has raised concerns about what might happen at the federal level under the Trump 2.0 administration. As the administration faces growing pressure to ban or criminalize medication abortion, Bailey's past actions offer a glimpse into potential future developments.

Newly appointed US Attorney General Todd Blanche has confirmed that a crackdown on abortion-related activities is coming, and he plans to review the government's stance on enforcing the Comstock Act, a 19th-century federal anti-vice law targeting "obscene" items sent by mail or any other means of shipping.

Bailey's lawsuit against the FDA claimed that allowing telemedicine prescriptions of mifepristone violates the Comstock Act, and he warned CVS and Walgreens that they'd violate the statute by dispensing abortion medications. As FBI co-deputy director, Bailey had the power to direct criminal investigations into the distribution of these medications, potentially putting pressure on human rights groups and clinicians across state lines or via mail.

The FBI's involvement in such investigations was reportedly discussed during a Senate Republican hearing, with Senator Josh Hawley suggesting that abortion pill manufacturers are "actively coaching" people on how to evade state abortion bans using the federal mail system.