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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Pro-Choice Man Admits Threatening Anti-Abortion Staff

A Wenatchee man pleaded guilty Monday to threatening to shoot antiabortion workers under a law typically used to protect abortion clinics and staff.

The court hearing in Spokane marks the first time the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was used in a case involving a facility that doesn’t provide abortions.

Daniel A. Mathison, 24, told a federal judge he was drunk when he made several calls in January to First Way Center, a pregnancy counseling service in East Wenatchee.

“I do have a gun and I will be there and I will kill as many office workers as I find,” he told a woman, in a recorded call. “I will kill secretaries … two weeks, fourteen days I will destroy you.”

Mathison, who is pro-choice, considered the call a form of terrorism and told an FBI agent he wanted “to instill fear in the pro-life movement similar to what the pro-choice people have to deal with,” according to the plea agreement.

After the hearing, Mathison said he hopes his threats don’t reflect badly on the abortion-rights movement.

“I didn’t want it to seem like a conspiracy or anything like that,” he said. “The FBI was pretty worried about that. It was just a dumb thing to do. It was just me being drunk.”

The FACE Act was enacted last year after complaints of threats and violence at abortion clinics. The law permits prosecution of people who use force or threats against healthcare organizations that provide reproductive services or counseling - including counseling against abortion.

The law was used in October 1994 to convict Paul Hill, who was sentenced to two life terms for killing a Pensacola doctor.

Mathison made a series of threatening calls early one morning from his grandmother’s house, where he lives. He said he’d had at least a dozen drinks, both beer and hard liquor.

“The guy has been real upfront from the minute we found out about it,” said Robert Ellis, assistant U.S. Attorney.

Mathison told Judge Fred Van Sickle he takes antidepressants daily because he has a mental disorder.

Mathison is also seeing a counselor and is attending alcohol rehabilitation, said Public Defender Toby Krauel.

Van Sickle agreed Mathison isn’t a threat to the community and said he can remain out of jail pending an Aug. 31 sentencing.

He faces up to a year in prison, followed by a year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

, DataTimes