Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C, an online abortion-pill marketplace. His referral to the Trump administration’s legal enforcement arm centers on allegations that the site is promoting the shipment of abortion drugs in ways he argues break the law.
Plan C has drawn attention because websites like it can allow people with internet access to arrange delivery of abortion pills in less than a minute, according to the description of the service. That ease of access has made online abortion-pill distribution a major flashpoint in the broader fight over abortion policy.
Hawley’s move puts fresh political pressure on federal law enforcement to examine how abortion pills are advertised and mailed through online platforms. While his request does not itself establish wrongdoing, it signals that Republican lawmakers want stronger scrutiny of services that help connect users with abortion medication.
The referral adds another layer to the national dispute over abortion access after the procedure became an even sharper legal and political battleground. With Plan C now in the spotlight, the issue of online abortion-pill ordering is likely to remain a point of contention in Washington.
