A pro-life group has filed a formal complaint against late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo, (nicknamed the Butcher of D.C.), who operates the Washington Surgi-Clinic in the nation’s capital, calling for the D.C. Board of Medicine to suspend Santangelo’s medical license.
The complaint alleges that his “abilities and practices fall far below the national standard of care.”
Though Santangelo advertises second-trimester D&E (dismemberment) abortion procedures on his website, he was given the nickname ‘Butcher of D.C.’ after five late-term aborted babies were obtained outside his facility from a medical waste truck driver picking up the bodies of aborted children. Those bodies were largely intact, leading some to speculate that Santangelo may be committing federally illegal partial-birth (D&X) abortions in addition to umbilical cord transection (UCT) to kill preborn babies.
Google Reviews for the facility indicate that late-term abortions are happening there.
Key Takeaways:
- Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust has filed a 14-page formal complaint against abortionist Cesare Santangelo, nicknamed the ‘Butcher of D.C.’, asserting that his practices fall outside the standard of care and endanger women; they are putting him and others aiding him on notice.
- The complaint alleges that Santangelo’s abortion practices and current health condition have contributed to several women’s injuries and complications and/or put women at risk of injury.
- Santangelo was recorded in an undercover Live Action investigation, stating that neither he nor his staff would provide assistance to an infant who survived abortion. In addition, the bodies of five nearly full-term aborted babies were found in medical waste obtained from his abortion facility in March 2022.
Survivors’ press release regarding formal complaints filed against Santangelo the ‘Butcher of D.C.’
The Backstory:
An undercover investigator visited the Washington Surgi-Center owned by Santangelo as part of Live Action’s Inhuman investigation, where the abortionist appeared to describe a dangerous umbilical cord transection (UCT) procedure and expressed willingness to allow infants born alive during abortions to “expire” without medical assistance.
During Live Action’s investigation, Santangelo told the 25-weeks-pregnant undercover investigator, “I cut the umbilical cord first, wait for the baby to expire, and then we do it that way. So hopefully the fetus will expire first….”
Santangelo late term abortionist cuts cord to kill baby umbilical cord transection
Asked by the investigator if he removes the baby “intact,” Santangelo responded, “We try. Yeah that’s the whole reason why we do the dilation today and tomorrow.”
Asked if the baby ever moves when it comes out, Santangelo responded, “That’s why I try and sever the umbilical cord first, and we wait for that to stop pulsing, and this way the fetus is expired first, so it doesn’t” (emphasis added).
Late term abortionist described umbilical cord transection UCT in Live Action undercover video
It is unclear whether Santangelo still commits UCTs, as his website currently only describes D&E abortions. However, the undercover video implies that the ‘Butcher of D.C.’ previously committed induction abortions, which fall below the ‘standard of care’ when committed outside a hospital or hospital-like setting. They also suggest that Santangelo may be utilizing UCT to induce fetal demise.
The Complaint:
The 14-page complaint, presented by the pro-life group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, includes a lengthy list of allegations ranging from concerning Google Reviews, a patient’s death, and evidence that the abortionist is coming to the facility in a disabled capacity.
Injuries and Complications
Allegations detailed in the complaint include:
- 2010: A lawsuit filed by the family of Rebecca Charland alleged that she received a D&E abortion and suffered “severe uterine bleeding due to uterine perforation and… died shortly thereafter.”
- 2013: “Department chair in OBGYN at George Washington University filed a medical board complaint after three of his patients had poor outcomes at Washington Surgi Clinic.”
- 2014: Santangelo “largely perforated Mrs. [Elizabeth] Almeyda’s uterus and cervix causing severe bleeding. An ambulance was called, and Mrs. Almeyda was transferred to the George Washington University Hospital. The head of Mrs. Almeyda’s baby was free floating in her abdomen. Mrs. Almeyda went into surgery to remove the head of her baby and to remove the large amount of blood in her abdomen and pelvic areas.” Almeyda allegedly filed suit due to a lack of “informed consent regarding potential complications she may experience,” as well as a failure to tell her that “her baby was already deceased prior to performing the abortion procedure. Since her baby was already deceased, Dr. Santangelo should’ve utilized different medical procedures in a hospital setting.” The complaint says the “medical malpractice case was settled out of court.”
- 2019: Katherine Musgrove also filed suit following “her elective dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion procedure” allegedly at Washington Surgi-Clinic where she “experienced uncontrollable bleeding due to uterine perforation” resulting in “surgery to repair several areas of her body that had also been impacted to include: a cervical laceration, a diagnostic laparoscopy, lysis of adhesions, as well as the uterine perforation… Musgrove alleged that Dr. Santangelo violated the national standard of care in numerous ways…” The complaint also alleges that “Mrs. Musgrove and her husband were never informed that because their preborn baby was already deceased[;] there were other less risky options of care she could have chosen which would have brought less risk such as having a procedure done in a hospital setting.”
- A 2019 Maryland licensure disciplinary action against Santangelo was also detailed.
The complaint also references Google reviews allegedly written by former Santangelo patients who experienced complications after abortions at the D.C. facility.
Google reviews for late term abortionist Caesar Santangelo nicknamed ‘Butcher of D.C.’
Live Action News previously documented a separate Google Review in which an alleged client questioned whether her baby may have been born alive at 27 weeks. The Washington Surgi-Clinic facility allegedly sent a Hispanic staffer to her hotel “right next door” after she began bleeding on day one of the three-day procedure. She later delivered the baby, according to the review, but questioned whether the baby boy “was born alive at 27 weeks.” She also wrote, “When I asked questions no one told me anything other than ‘that wasn’t suppose[d] to happen.’”
Washington Surgi Clinic Google review of possible baby born alive after abortion attempt
A May 2021 health department inspection cited the facility’s manual, which instructs staffers to be certain that clients who undergo sedation are accompanied by a responsible adult when leaving the premises.
May 2021 Inspection of Washington Surgi abortion clinic patient stayed at hotel
Abortionist arrives to work in ‘unsteady’ state
The formal complaint referenced recent video footage documenting Santangelo entering his late-term abortion facility with some sort of cast on his right arm, requiring assistance to walk.
The complaint claims he was “severely staggering, unstable on his feet, and in need of assistance,” “being braced and stabilized by a relative acting as his caregiver,” “unbalanced and unsteady,” with “glazed, glossy eyes and a visual appearance of disorientation,” while being “met by clinic manager Maria Barrera with a wheelchair.”
The complaint also states:
On June 16th, 2025[,] video footage from a recorded call made to Washington Surgi Clinic uncovers the inability for Washington Surgi Clinic to conduct a prenatal ultrasound.
This is immensely concerning given the recommendations made to utilize ultrasound guidance stemming from the above listed injuries and death of former patients under the care of Dr. Santangelo.
“A board may require a health professional to submit to a mental or physical examination whenever it has probable cause to believe the health professional is impaired” or “Revoke or suspend the license,” the complaint added.
Screenshot: PAAU
Why It Matters:
“Umbilical cord transection often requires a doctor to reach far into the uterus in an attempt to locate the umbilical cord. A doctor without full use of both arms possibly puts the patient at risk for complications and might also violate 3-1205.14(5) of the District of Columbia code,” medical malpractice attorney Mike Seibel told Live Action News. “Authorities should immediately investigate whether he is physically competent to perform this type of procedure without endangering the patient.”
That code suggests that the revocation of a license could be imposed when the licensee “is professionally or mentally incompetent or physically incapable.”
The complaint suggests:
Dr. Santangelo’s condition may make it more likely infants are being born alive violating the Born Alive survivors Protection Act and/or that he is also in violation of the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban.
Performing a UCT with compromised physical abilities will make it much more likely that Dr. Santangelo would have to partially deliver the baby to perform the procedure. Such a delivery to perform the UCT would be an overt act that the physician knows would kill a partially delivered fetus.
It is incumbent upon the Board of medicine and Congress to investigate how Dr Santangelo is inducing fetal demise in his dilapidated condition.
Abortion providers (David Turok, Lisa Keder, Mark Nichols, and ACOG, among others) have testified that committing late-term abortions (sometimes funded by taxpayers), outside hospital or hospital-like settings is violating the ‘standard of care’ and putting women at significantly greater risk.
Abortionists like Santangelo are aware that, at a certain point in the second trimester, abortion becomes far more risky to women than carrying to term.
This is why the formal complaint has put Santangelo ‘on notice’ (warned publicly) that those who cover for him could also be liable for injuries that occur when he commits these dangerous procedures outside the ‘standard of care.’
The Bottom Line:
The formal complaint against Santangelo warns:
Should anyone receive the subpar care available at Washington Surgi-Clinic from this point forward after being formally put on notice by the filing of this complaint and concern, it would be both negligent and legitimate medical malpractice by Dr. Santangelo and all staff currently employed at Washington Surgi-Clinic.
Should any outside entities refer someone to Washington Surgi-Clinic after being formally put on notice by the filing of this complaint and concern, it would be both negligent and malpractice of the referring agency.
Women hurt by the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility are encouraged to reach out for a free case review.
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