The person who leaked a Supreme Court draft memo indicating that the court will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision made an "outrageous" and "intentional" attempt to "intimidate the justices to change their opinion" and to force the Senate's hand on voting to codify abortion legislation, Rep. Vicky Hartzler told Newsmax on Tuesday.
"It sounds like things are going the way for life and for the Constitution and the justices are saying 'hey, nine people unelected in black robes should not be making this decision; this isn't in the Constitution. This should be left up to the elected representatives,' and that sounds like a very positive decision in my mind," the Missouri Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
But with the leak to Politico on Monday, "you have an attempt by a liberal clerk to cause them to change their mind," Hartzler said. "We know in the past that justices sometimes do change their minds before it's out, actually published."
She added that she thinks the first goal is to try to press Chief Justice John Roberts to weigh in on the decision, but also, 'it's an attempt to influence the 2022 fall elections because … the American people are sad because of all of the terrible policies, the economic policies, inflation, the border, you name it, so they're trying to get their base to come out and to vote for the Democrats."
The FBI is involved in trying to find the person or persons who leaked the draft ruling, said Hartzler, and there will be a "very intense review of this to try to find out who this person is and to take action against them."
Such leaks must stop, said Hartzler, who tweeted Monday night that the leak is "outrageous and dangerous," even though she does "pray and remain hopeful" that the court does follow through with the draft decision.
"The Supreme Court was the one institution in our country where you could count on for them to adhere to their policies and to not publish their opinions until it was finalized," said Hartzler, adding that she fears President Joe Biden could "really change things" by trying to sway the justices.
"It's just wrong," she said. "It has to be rooted out and it has to be stopped."
Hartzler said she thinks the leak occurred to put pressure on members of Congress to pass House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "very radical piece of legislation that would legalize abortion to the very day of birth all across the country and do away with any protections for the unborn."
The bill, Hartzler added, has already been passed in the House and is sitting in the Senate.
"I think there also might be an attempt to try to get the senators to do away with the filibuster to pass this legislation and codify a very radical form of abortion and Roe v. Wade," Hartzler said. "It would be a terrible, terrible policy, so that may be part of their goal as well. I think you're going to see Democrats in the Senate putting pressure on Schumer to do away with the filibuster and to try to pass this legislation, which would put us on par with China and North Korea in the very barbaric policy of allowing and promoting abortions up until the day of birth."
The congresswoman further commented that she hopes the protesters and the potential for violence against any justice won't come into play.
"It would be horrific if something will happen to one of our justices," she said. "This is just unacceptable to try to intimidate these fine individuals into changing their minds or making the rulings based on mob rule," Hartzler said. "[The decision] should be based on the Constitution, not on protesters outside or intimidation or threats."
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