Troy Newman
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Troy Newman is an American pro-life activist. He is the president of Operation Rescue, known before 2002 as Operation Rescue West, which is currently based in Wichita, Kansas.
Newman became the head of this organization after Jeff White's Operation Rescue California closed due to legal judgements incurred by White. Newman moved his organizational headquarters to Wichita, Kansas. There, Operation Rescue West launched its "Year of Rebuke" campaign to expose those with political, professional, and social ties to late-term abortion provider George Tiller.
Newman developed the idea of using panel trucks to deliver his organization's message, and, thus, the "Truth Truck" fleet was created. These trucks, covered with graphic, billboard-sized images of aborted fetuses, have been driven across the United States.
In Florida, Newman raised $5,000 for an autopsy on "Baby Rowan" in an effort to prove that the baby was killed after birth. Florida does not accept private funds for autopsies and never reported receiving any funding from Operation Rescue. The group also solicited donations as a part of their campaign to keep Terri Schiavo on life support. The money was not to go to Schiavo's family, but to pay for staff salaries and lodging while in Florida.
Operation Rescue began documenting incidents of abortion-related injuries at the Women's Health Care Services requiring emergency hospitalization, including the third-trimester abortion death of Christin Gilbert, a 19-year-old with Down Syndrome. Information gathered by Operation Rescue contributed to the introduction of a strict clinic regulations bill in 2005, which passed both Houses of the Kansas Legislature by a two-thirds majority, but was vetoed by Govenor Kathleen Sebelius. Newman helped lead a petition drive to convene a grand jury to investigate Gilbert's death and other wrongdoing by Tiller and his clinic. On July 31, 2006, the grand jury cleared Dr. Tiller of all criminal charges.
Operation Rescue participated in bringing public pressure that led to the revocation of Krishna Rajanna's medical license and the permanent closure of his Kansas City abortion clinic, which had been under investigation for substandard conditions.
In September 2006, Newman and Army of God member Jonathan O'Toole showed up at an open-air gubernatorial debate dressed as cockroaches, protesting alleged unsanitary conditions at Tiller's clinic. Democratic State Rep. Vaughn Flora (Topeka) recognized Newman, tore his mask off, and was arrested for battery. The misdemeanor charge was later put aside due to Flora's status as an elected public official (under Kansas law he cannot be put on trial until he leaves office). Newman has said he will not press further with the charge.
Newman and Operation Rescue West are currently under IRS investigation for charges of money laundering and tax evasion. As reported by Maggotpunks.com, Newman's organization receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and has no paid staff; Newman refers to his staff as missionaries and, as a result, does not report their income. Using the donations, Newman has purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars of real estate throughout Kansas.
The organization remains small with about a dozen members, many of which are members who left California to relocate in Wichita.
Since taking the original Operation Rescue moniker, Newman has provoked the ire of Operation Save America leader Philip "Flip" Benham, who has accused Newman of provoking violence in the defence of life. The two clashed during the 1993 execution of Paul Jennings Hill in Florida, Benham supporting the execution and Newman calling Hill a martyr.
Newman is the author of a book, Their Blood Cries Out (ISBN 0-9720367-5-X), and several editorials.
