Warns Against Government Intrusion into Donor Privacy and Pro-Life Advocacy

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life today commended the U.S. Supreme Court for taking up First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin, a case that strikes at the heart of Americans’ constitutional freedoms of speech and association. The case arises from an attempt by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin to compel First Choice Women’s Resource Centers—a longstanding, life-affirming charity—to disclose the private donor information associated with nearly 5,000 individual contributions.

“No government official needs to know which charitable organizations Americans support, and no attorney general should be allowed to misuse state power to intimidate or harass pro-life groups,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Forcing disclosure of donor information has been used throughout history as a political weapon. This kind of government overreach chills free speech, threatens the safety and privacy of donors, and diverts vital resources away from helping women and saving lives.”

Attorney General Platkin’s demand echoes troubling historical precedents in which compelled disclosure was used to punish dissenting viewpoints. Even the threat of compelled disclosure is enough to deter Americans from joining, supporting, or donating to causes they believe in. This violates the core constitutional protections that ensure that any viewpoint—such as the core belief in the right to life held by pro-life Americans—cannot be silenced by government intimidation or public pressure campaigns.

“Political disagreements must never become an excuse to weaponize the investigative power of the state,” Tobias added. “If officials can rummage through the private records of a pregnancy help center without cause, then no nonprofit—regardless of its mission—will be safe.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.