Mitchell’s great-grandfather was a World War II hero, one of only four survivors in his platoon who fought in the battles of Midway and Tarawa. Over 6,400 people died at Tarawa.

Mitchell had hoped for a career of distinguished service in the United States Marine Corps like his great-grandfather. But he found it was not his great-grandfather’s Marines — under Joe Biden, everything had changed.

Joe Biden is not like our Commanders–in-Chief from past years. His administration has been rocked with lawsuits and legislation designed to keep his tyranny in check. Military recruitment has tanked under Biden, and the story I will share gives a glimpse of why this is so.

I will give you an update on both our legislative efforts and our court battles to rein in this administration. You will also hear about former Marine Staff Sergeant Mitchell Schaefer, one of the military members whom Biden continues to persecute for refusing to reject God’s call on his life. That is why we continue to fight. Read on. — Mat

We have been fighting the Biden administration’s lawlessness for nearly two intense years. We need YOUR HELP to continue. When you do, a generous Challenge Grant will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of your donation. Please, give generously today!

On August 24, 2021, and again on November 30, 2021, Joe Biden’s Department of Defense (DOD) mandated that every American military member MUST take the COVID shots or be released from service.  

Biden’s mandate ignored standing U.S. law that requires the government to accommodate religious freedom exemption requests. As Biden’s DOD prepared to discharge thousands upon thousands of religious service members, Liberty Counsel went to work. We led the nation in this struggle — and we’re still fighting the mandates on many fronts.

Our team on Capitol Hill pressed for Congress to force Biden and the DOD to rescind the military shot mandate. We succeeded. Now we are pushing hard for more congressional action to restore service members, federal employees and federal contractors. The abuse must end.

We filed class action lawsuits representing military members against Biden and his unlawful DOD orders. And we worked closely with members of Congress to pass legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) forcing Biden to drop his shot mandates.

On January 23, 2023, that law went into effect … but that has not stopped Joe Biden from continuing to persecute Christians and faithful religious adherents in the armed forces.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Mitchell Schaefer submitted his religious accommodation request on August 12, 2021. As a committed Christian, Schaefer wanted nothing to do with the largely untested drug that was developed using aborted fetal tissue.

Mitchell’s religious accommodation request was unlawfully denied on October 1, 2021. He was then denied an appeal and eventually given an order to receive the COVID shot on December 13, 2021. Knowing his rights under the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Staff Sergeant Schaefer submitted a rebuttal to the denial, stating that he could not follow an unlawful order.

But the Marine Corps denied Staff Sergeant Shaefer once again. Mitchell was unceremoniously booted from the Marines on May 3, 2022. Though given an “honorable discharge” as the NDAA provision required, Mitchell’s record was still permanently marred.

Under “reason for discharge,” the Marine Corps listed “misconduct,” even though five high-ranking officers and enlisted personnel had written recommendations vouching for his performance and character.

But that’s not all. Joe Biden has found yet another way to continue punishing faithful religious adherents who refused to trade their morals for Biden’s mandates — crippling demands for repayment of reenlistment bonuses.

Biden is requiring Staff Sergeant Schaefer to repay 17,878 dollars and 23 cents from his re-signing bonus for refusing to take the unlawful jab and being booted from the service as a result. Even though Schaefer served honorably, the Marine brass took his last paycheck toward his “debt,” leaving Mitchell, his wife and two small children no money to transition from military life.

Mitchell’s small family has been forced to move in with his parents as the military is now garnishing his civilian wages to the tune of $504.31 per month! If he misses a payment, Mitchell will be turned over to collections.

We continue to work with members of Congress to end Biden’s declaration of a public health emergency and shot mandates, and to reinstate military members who were unlawfully discharged for refusing the shots. You can help that effort by faxing Congress now and demanding they restore religious freedom to our military members!

Tell Congress to END the illegal jab mandates and stop the abuse!

Meanwhile, our massive class action lawsuit on behalf of Mitchell and his fellow Marines who sought religious freedom accommodations from the jab continues to work its way through the court.

Please consider making a recurring monthly donation or a generous individual donation to fund our critically important religious freedom legal work. Thankfully, a Challenge Grant will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of every donation made today.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel