Last June, arsonists threw firebombs at the CompassCare Christian Pregnancy Center in Erie County, New York. The ensuing fire caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the facility, though there were thankfully no people inside at the time to be harmed. The graffiti sprayed across the outside of the center made it pretty obvious who was responsible and the pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge later officially took credit for the attack. But for months on end after the attack, the FBI still hadn’t seemed to make any progress in solving the crime, despite the fact that surveillance video captured the attackers in the act. (Video that the Bureau has still yet to return to the owners.) The FBI claimed to be working on the case and even offered a modest reward for information about the perpetrators, but more than six months later they haven’t reported any progress. Now the center’s CEO is hiring private investigators to track down the perpetrators and accusing the FBI of “slow-walking” the investigation. (National Review)

A pro-life pregnancy center network is taking matters into its own hands and hiring private investigators to find pro-abortion terrorists who attacked its medical office, claiming that the FBI is “slow-walking” its probe, which has not resulted in any arrests.

CompassCare is partnering with the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm fighting for religious liberty, to hire private investigators to find the perpetrators on its own terms and timeline.

“After talking with our investigators so far, they’ve already provided very valuable insight that we didn’t know. And they do have a track record of identifying terrorists both internationally and domestically,” Compass Care CEO Jim Harden told National Review.

Both the FBI and Merrick Garland should be embarrassed by the way this has all played out, but I don’t expect they will be. The Bureau seemed to have no trouble at all arranging a SWAT raid on the home of a pastor who was accused of singing bible hymns at an abortion clinic, but you’re telling me they can’t manage to crack this firebombing case? (Assuming they’re even trying.)

It’s not as if there shouldn’t be plenty of evidence to look into. CompassCare CEO Jim Harden was forced to relocate his family shortly after the attack because they had been targeted with doxxing and death threats from pro-abortion activists. There must be phone records associated with those threats. And the attack in New York was just one of 77 pro-life clinics that have been attacked across the country. It certainly seems like they might be related.

Another Christian pregnancy center was burned in Colorado only weeks after CompassCare was attacked. And a similar center in Oregon was set ablaze during the same month. You might think that a series of firebombings stretching across the country with a radical liberal group taking credit for nearly all of them would be the sort of case that the FBI would really sink their teeth into. Or perhaps not.

Jim Harden hasn’t been impressed with the interest that the FBI has shown in this case. And he was similarly underwhelmed by the Bureau’s offer of a reward.

The FBI advertised a $25,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrests of arsonists, but Compass Care called that “a ruse designed to feign interest in an investigation.” Harden said Compass Care would likely take the FBI reward to offset the expense of hiring the private investigators if they apprehend suspects.

If these private investigators actually get to the bottom of this case, it’s going to be a major black eye for the FBI. But what will happen if they find damning evidence of who launched the attack? Presumably, they would need to turn that evidence over to the FBI. But will the Bureau act on the evidence and actually make an arrest? I’d like to believe that they would, but these days it’s becoming harder and harder to be sure.