James Lawler Duggan/Reuters
Teresa Manning, the anti-abortion activist in charge of federal family planning funding at the Health and Human Services Department, was reportedly escorted out of the agency Friday in unclear circumstances. A spokesperson for HHS said Manning resigned, insisting that her departure “was not unusual in any way.” But two sources cited by Politico say she was fired and ushered out of the premises in dramatic fashion, with fellow staffers on her floor ordered to leave the area as she departed. Manning was appointed by President Trump last May, a move that alarmed abortions rights groups who feared her leadership would be a step backwards for national policies on contraception and family planning. Manning, who has previously worked for anti-abortion groups like the Family Research Council and National Right to Life,has publicly declared that “contraception doesn’t work” and helped craft legislation that would limit access to abortion.