Donald Spitz
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Short description|American Christian terrorist}}
{{Infobox religious biography
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| image = Rev Donald Spitz.jpg
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| religion = Christianity
| denomination = Pentecostalism
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| nationality = American
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| birth_place = Norfolk, Virginia, United States
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Donald Spitz is an American Pentecostal minister and anti-abortion extremist who serves as the spokesperson and webmaster for the Army of God, an anti-abortion Christian terrorist organization that has been identified as an active underground terrorist organization by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security's joint Terrorism Knowledge Base.{{cite web |url=http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc |title=Soldier of God |publisher=Coastal Virginal Mag |date=November–December 2012 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |author=Harrison, Don |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224091435/http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc#artanc |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.start.umd.edu/tops/|title=Terrorist Organization Profile:Army of God|publisher=Terrorism Knowledge Base|date=2004–2008|accessdate=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924124458/http://www.start.umd.edu/tops/|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}} He lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he has been watched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 20 years.
Biography
Spitz is a first-generation Italian-American whose family emigrated from Sant'Elia Fiumerapido, Italy and settled in Paterson, New Jersey. Spitz was born in Norfolk, Virginia, into a military family. He joined the United States Navy at 18 and served for two years during the Vietnam War.{{cite web|last=Hopkins|first=John|title=Chesapeake minister is a man on a mission|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/chesapeake-minister-man-mission|publisher=The Virginian-Pilot|accessdate=October 13, 2011|date=April 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001063935/http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/chesapeake-minister-man-mission#|archive-date=October 1, 2012|url-status=live}} In the early 1980s, Spitz moved to New York City, where he ran a street evangelism ministry in Times Square.
Spitz was ordained in Manhattan by evangelist Leander Bolhoarst into the Pentecostal International Gospel Crusade.
In 1993, Spitz moved to Chesapeake, Virginia where he formed Operation Rescue Chesapeake,Extremist groups: information for students, Volume 1 – Thomson/Gale, 2006 then Pro-Life Virginia. He currently{{when|date=September 2022}} operates Army of God's website.
Activity
Spitz was "best friends"{{Cite web |url=https://pilotonline.com/news/article_c2ab92ff-58e8-5432-91d8-c0538170f65b.html# |title=Chesapeake minister is a man on a mission |date=April 30, 2008 |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025935/https://pilotonline.com/news/article_c2ab92ff-58e8-5432-91d8-c0538170f65b.html# |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |url-status=live }} with Paul Jennings Hill until Hill, who murdered physician John Britton and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (and Britton's bodyguard) James Barrett, was executed. Spitz was Hill's spiritual adviser during the last week of his life, and was with Hill when he was executed.{{cite web |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0309/02/se.18.html |title=Condemned Florida Killer Speaks Out |publisher=CNN.com |date=September 2, 2003 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531094814/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0309/02/se.18.html# |archive-date=May 31, 2013 |url-status=live }} Spitz was one of the 29 signers of the Defensive Action Statement, which he posted on Army of God's website.{{Cite web |url=https://www.armyofgod.com/defense.html# |title=Defensive Action Statement |access-date=September 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211220856/http://www.armyofgod.com/defense.html# |archive-date=February 11, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/index.php?cparticle=3&siarticle=2# |title=Anti Abortion Reverened Donald Spitz |access-date=September 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927204832/http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/index.php?cparticle=3&siarticle=2# |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |url-status=live }} The Defensive Action Statement argued that the murders Hill committed were justified to protect unborn children.{{cite web |last=Spitz |first=Donald |title=Defensive Action Statement |url=http://www.armyofgod.com/defense.html |publisher=Army of God |access-date=July 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605153455/http://www.armyofgod.com/defense.html# |archive-date=June 5, 2009 |url-status=live }}
Spitz was ordered to appear before two separate grand juries. The grand juries were held in Alexandria, Virginia and, in Philadelphia during separate investigations into Hill and Clayton Waagner, a man who sent hundreds of anthrax scare letters to abortion providers in 2001.
After John Salvi attacked two reproductive health clinics in Massachusetts, he drove to Norfolk, Virginia where Spitz lived at the time. It was reported by the Boston Globe, that at the time of his arrest in Norfolk, Salvi had Spitz's name and unlisted phone number in his possession.{{cite book |last=Risen |first=James |title=Wrath Of Angels: The American Abortion War |year=1998 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-09272-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wrathofangelsame00rise/page/368 368] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wrathofangelsame00rise/page/368 }} Spitz held a prayer vigil outside Salvi's jail cell. Spitz was so outspoken in defense of Salvi, that he was asked not to come to Massachusetts for Salvi’s trial, and he would be unwelcome if he did.scanned letter located at http://www.armyofgod.com/JohnSalviMassachusetts.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714175259/http://www.armyofgod.com/JohnSalviMassachusetts.html# |date=July 14, 2014 }}Women: images and realities : a multicultural anthology – Amy Vita Kesselman, Lily D. McNair, Nancy Schniedewind – McGraw-Hill, November 2, 2006
Spitz was ejected from Operation Rescue. He formed Operation Rescue Chesapeake, but after a year and a half, when Flip Benham took control of the national organization, Spitz was ordered to separate himself and his organization from the Operation Rescue name because of his support and friendship with Hill. Spitz changed the name of his organization from Operation Rescue Chesapeake to Pro-Life Virginia.
Spitz gained attention in 2001 with his support for Waagner, who was one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives,{{Cite web |url=https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/pressrel/press-releases/clayton-lee-waagner-named-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list# |title=Clayton Lee Waagner Named to FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823003000/https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/pressrel/press-releases/clayton-lee-waagner-named-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list# |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |url-status=live }} who sent hundreds of anthrax letters to abortion clinics throughout the United States.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1608280.stm |title=US Abortion Clinics in Anthrax Scare |publisher=BBC News |date=October 19, 2001 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224112853/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1608280.stm# |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |url-status=live }} Spitz was also suspected of harboring Waagner and receiving phone calls from him while Waagner was a fugitive.{{Cite web |url=http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/# |title=Anti Abortion Reverened Donald Spitz |access-date=December 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925180659/http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/November-December-2012/Soldier-of-God/# |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}
In response to the 1998 shooting death of Barnett Slepian, Spitz said: "What would I say to the family of Slepian? They live in a $500,000 house that was paid for with blood money – the blood of those babies that Barnett Slepian murdered... He knew what he was doing, he was murdering children. That's too bad if he was killed in front of his family..."Unborn in the USA, 00:45:00, First Run Features 2007
Spitz has been watched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 20 years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.policeone.com/explosives-eod/articles/285859006-5-domestic-terrorism-threats-you-havent-thought-of-in-a-while-but-are-still-here/# |title=5 domestic terrorism threats you haven't thought of in a while, but are still here |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075203/https://www.policeone.com/explosives-eod/articles/285859006-5-domestic-terrorism-threats-you-havent-thought-of-in-a-while-but-are-still-here/# |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |url-status=live }} In 1994, the FBI suspected that he and other anti-abortion figures might be developing "a conspiracy that endeavors to achieve political or social change through activities that involve force or violence."Johnston, David (August 4, 1994), [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/04/us/fbi-undertakes-conspiracy-inquiry-in-clinic-violence.html "F.B.I. Undertakes Conspiracy Inquiry In Clinic Violence"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203114532/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/04/us/fbi-undertakes-conspiracy-inquiry-in-clinic-violence.html# |date=February 3, 2017 }}, New York Times
Spitz has published prison writings of fellow extremists including Hill, Waagner, Eric Rudolph,{{cite web |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-05-14-rudolph-prison_N.htm |title=Extremist taunts his victims from prison |publisher=USA Today |date=May 15, 2007 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |agency=Associated Press}}{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12011524 |title=In Prison, Anti-Abortion Terrorist Taunts via Web |publisher=NPR.org |date=July 16, 2007 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |author=Lohr, Kathy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224104344/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12011524# |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |url-status=live }} Shelley Shannon, and Michael Bray, on Army of God's website. Spitz was in constant contact with Scott Roeder while he was awaiting trial for the murder of George Tiller.{{cite web |url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20090703/NEWS/907035018?p=1&tc=pg |title=Suspect in Kan. Abortion Doctor's Shooting Advocates Cause Via Mail |publisher=The Ledger |date=July 3, 2009 |accessdate=December 23, 2013 |author=Hegeman, Roxana |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114333/http://www.theledger.com/article/20090703/NEWS/907035018?p=1&tc=pg# |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |url-status=live }} Shelley Shannon, an anti-abortion extremist, made her first phone call when she was released from federal prison to Spitz. It is reported they had been in close contact the whole time of Shannon's incarceration.{{Cite web | url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article221194600.html | title=Abortion clinics on edge after woman who shot Kansas doctor is released from prison}}