Court ignores Operation Rescue's motion to disqualify Foulston and Morrison

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org

WICHITA, Kansas, Jan. 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- A grand jury was impaneled today and instructed that the prosecutor who would be directing the investigation of late-term abortionist George R. Tiller is Deputy District Attorney Ann Swegle.

Swegle was involved in the 2006 grand jury that investigated Tiller in the 3rd trimester abortion death of Christin Gilbert, which failed to indict on four counts by only one vote.

"It was because of Swegel's handling of the '06 grand jury that this petition specifically demanded that District Attorney Nola Foulston and anyone associated with her not be involved in the grand jury," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We highly suspected monkey-business during that last grand jury and wanted to avoid the same kind of corruption with this one.

"Over 7,500 people signed the grand jury petition under the condition that Foulston's office and Morrison not be involved. Now, the courts have chosen to disrespect the will of the people and have appointed the very person that we believe submarined the last investigation. Appointing Swegle to oversee this investigation is a slap on the face to every citizen who signed that petition."

Operation Rescue and activist Mark Gietzen filed an eleventh hour motion late yesterday to disqualify Foulston and disgraced Attorney General Paul Morrison from participating in the grand jury. (Read motions)

Early this morning Gietzen had a half-hour long conversation with presiding Judge Michael Corrigan about the motions. Confusion over the motions seemed to define the morning. Corrigan assured Gietzen that Morrison would not be involved in the case, but would not rule out Foulston's involvement through Swegle.

"Assurances are just too good enough. That's not how courts work. Courts issue orders. Where is the one page order telling us Morrison will not be involved? As sitting Attorney General, he still has the ability to influence this investigation, and as a man who has been accused of illegally attempting to influence other Tiller cases, it is absolutely outrageous and arrogant that a court order has not been issued. Everyone now associated with this process is tainted with the appearance of impropriety, the very thing we hoped to avoid," said Newman. "It looks like the fix is in."

Read about Swegle's conduct during the Gilbert Grand Jury

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.