Wichita, KS – Operation Rescue has sent a letter to Lee Thompson, an attorney who is representing late-term abortionist George R. Tiller, demanding an apology for untrue and potentially slanderous comments he has repeatedly made in the media.
Thompson has repeatedly referred the legal effort by citizens to convene a grand jury to investigate Tiller wrongdoing as “vigilantism.”
Thompson was most recently quoted in the Wichita Eagle today as saying, “This is a proceeding brought for harassment and in bad faith by the petition gatherers. You approach the level of vigilantism, and I think we see that happening in this instance.”
“This comment is nothing more than a vicious attack and patently false accusation against the integrity of the over 7,000 registered voters of Sedgwick County who exercised their citizenship by calling for the grand jury investigation,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman in a letter to Thompson.
“Vigilantism is when the people take the laws into their own hands. In this case, the people are working within the law to bring justice. You should be thanking God that the people are engaged in peaceful, legal efforts. Instead, you malign them,” Newman’s letter continued. “If you are so confused about what the law says and what true vigilantism is, perhaps you should return to law school for a refresher course. We expect more from someone who is a former Federal Prosecutor.”
The letter concludes, “Since your client has been charged in the past 10 months with a total of 49 criminal acts based on a few medical records from 2003, it is very reasonable to suspect that similar activity continued over the ensuing five years. Because of this, the citizens of Sedgwick County who signed the grand jury petition demanding further investigation of your client not only acted in good faith, but appropriately and necessarily discharged their duty as citizens. You owe us all an apology.”