Top red flags

Top red flags

• Represented a college, in partnership with a prominent anti-abortion law firm, in a lawsuit that attempted to block the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) contraceptive coverage provision. 
• Contributed to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump term, which advocates for rescission of key OCR protections for abortion and greater OCR authority over “conscience and religious freedom.” 
• Credited by a prominent anti-abortion extremist with helping write federal anti-abortion legislation. 

Litigation

Litigation

• Stannard represented Criswell College in a lawsuit that attempted to block the provision of the ACA that requires insurance coverage for FDA-approved contraception. The lawsuit argued that the provision violated the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” and the U.S. Constitution because the requirement includes emergency contraception, which the lawsuit falsely claimed was an “abortion-inducing” drug. 
  • Stannard partnered with the First Liberty Institute, a prominent conservative law firm, on this lawsuit. 
• While serving as Chief Legal Counsel at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Stannard refused to delay the enforcement date for a rule that made it difficult for Medicaid recipients to access medically necessary abortion care in the state. Abortion providers had requested the delay so they could have time to comply with the rule once it was released while continuing to provide care without interruption. The rule and two related state laws were ultimately found to be unconstitutional.

Legislation

Legislation

• Stannard is credited by a prominent anti-abortion extremist with helping write the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act of 2015,” legislation that uses stigmatizing language and the threat of harsh penalties to shame patients and scare providers from providing safe, quality abortion care. The bill passed the House of Representatives but ultimately did not receive a vote in the Senate. 

Statements & policy actions

Statements & policy actions

• Under Stannard’s leadership, OCR launched an investigation into a Michigan hospital system over a medical professional’s alleged “conscience rights” violations. The medical professional essentially wanted an exemption from key parts of their job, including treating patients with dignity, because of religious claims.
• While working at HHS during the first Trump administration, Stannard defended a new rule allowing for broad exemptions to the ACA contraceptive coverage provision.

Extremist connections

Extremist connections

• Stannard is a close collaborator of Hadley Arkes, a prominent anti-abortion extremist. 
• During the first Trump administration, Stannard served as Senior Counsel and Advisor to HHS Secretaries Tom Price and Alex Azar, both of whom are vocally anti-abortion.  
• Stannard worked alongside the First Liberty Institute, a prominent conservative law firm, on a case that attempted to block the ACA contraceptive coverage provision. The First Liberty Institute has litigated numerous cases on behalf of anti-contraception and anti-abortion individuals, including those who harass patients and providers and then allege “conscience rights” violations when faced with legal consequences.