First on Fox News: Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio is challenging a Biden-era drug policy, claiming it led to a tragic incident for one of his constituents. He urges the Department of Justice to intervene to prevent similar situations in the future.
The issue centers around Ohio doctor Hassan Abbas, who was sentenced this month for identity fraud and deception to obtain a dangerous drug. Prosecutors alleged he used his estranged wife’s personal information to acquire abortion pills by mail, forcibly administering them to his girlfriend, a former patient, after she disclosed her pregnancy. The woman asserts she did not wish to have an abortion and was restrained by Abbas as the pills were administered.
“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 stated in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
Moreno emphasizes that his constituent was force-fed crushed mail-order abortion pills. Once she escaped, she was hospitalized due to hemorrhaging. Moreno attributes this tragedy to Biden-era mail-in abortion policies.
The policy in question involves a 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy change by the Biden administration’s FDA, permitting mifepristone—an oral drug for inducing abortion—to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed. Moreno argues that this enabled Abbas to fraudulently acquire the drugs using his estranged wife’s identity.
“Without ever setting foot inside a pharmacy, Mr. Abbas procured the mail-order abortion drugs fraudulently using his estranged wife’s name,” the senator wrote. “It is hard for me to imagine a wickedness more significant than this.”
Louisiana is currently contesting the FDA rule in court, citing improper removal of the in-person requirement for dispensing mifepristone. The legal case is ongoing, and the rules are unchanged.
Moreno urges Attorney General Todd Blanche to expedite the Louisiana v. FDA case, reinstating the requirement for dispensing in a medical setting as the FDA reviews the drug’s safety.
While Abbas received a plea deal—six months in jail and two years on probation—Moreno finds the sentence inadequate.
“What makes this even worse is that Mr. Hassan Abbas was only sentenced to six months of jail time and two years of probation. How can someone commit a crime so vile and only receive six months of jail time?” Moreno wrote.
He requests that the Department of Justice re-examine the case, considering if federal charges are warranted.