DISCOVERED: DC late-term abortion business license expired last month

The Washington Surgi-Clinic, an infamous late-term abortion facility located in the District of Columbia, recently halted abortions — and it seems the reason for this was the fact that its license expired on August 10, 2025. Live Action News confirmed this with a media inquiry sent to DC Health, which licenses ambulatory surgical facilities in the District.

The facility, operated by abortionist Cesare Santangelo, has been entangled in multiple controversies, leading to the filing of a formal complaint against Santangelo last month.

As Live Action News reported this week, the late-term abortion business appears to be rerouting abortion clients to the National Abortion Federation (NAF), according to a recent release from the group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. The group noted that the receptionist for the facility said the business hoped to resume abortions in late September.

Key Takeaways:

• Live Action News (LAN) confirmed that the Washington Surgi-Clinic's license expired in early August and was not renewed.

• LAN also noted that an online record failed to show that the facility was licensed in its updated listing from June.

• Prior to this report, a pro-life group made a phone call to the clinic, which has been referring patients to the National Abortion Federation. A receptionist said they hoped to resume abortions in late September.

• This facility has been operated by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo, who became more well-known due to an undercover Live Action investigation that showed him on video stating that he and his staff "would not help" a child who survived an abortion.

The Details:

DC Health, which licenses ambulatory surgical centers, has shown the Washington Surgi-Clinic as being licensed for years. However, DC Health's most recent listing (updated June 13, 2025), failed to show that the late-term abortion facility was licensed.

On August 27, 2025, Live Action News reached out to DC Health to inquire whether Santangelo's late-term abortion facility was still licensed.

Our media request stated:

"Can you advise whether the Washington-Surgi Center located at 2112 F Street, NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037  - has closed or been temporarily shut down?  An archived version of your  Ambulatory Surgical Centers Directory website reveals they were licensed in February of 2025 and as late as April of 2025. However, your current page, August 2025 listing no longer shows them as licensed. Please provide a copy of any disciplinary actions, inspections, or changes to this facility."

A response from DC Health on September 3 stated that "The license for Washington Surgi Center expired on August 10, 2025, and was not renewed." No other information was sent.

The facility's website has no indication that they are no longer licensed to operate.

Live Action News responded to DC Health: "For clarification, if his licensed expired August 10 why wasn’t Washington Surgi-Clinic showing licensed on your most recent listing, which at the bottom showed updated in June?"

As of press time, Live Action News has not received a response.

"This is great news," medical malpractice attorney Mike Seibel told Live Action News "The failure to renew the license clearly reflects the turmoil and disorganization that is going on within the Washington Surgi-Clinic. Now is the time for the pro-life movement to step up legal action and political pressure to assure the facility never reopens," Seibel added.

The Complaint:

Santangelo was recently spotted entering the Washington Surgi-Clinic in a disabled capacity, with a cast on his right arm and appeared unable to walk without assistance.

Local activists claimed on video that they have filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to discover what malpractice insurance is held by the facility, to put the insurer ‘on notice’ of possible dangers due to the abortionist’s physical limitations.

In August, Survivors filed a formal complaint against Santangelo, asserting that his practices fell outside the standard of care and endangered women; putting him and those aiding him on notice.

Mike Seibel previously told Live Action News that “If notices were sent warning the abortion industry of the extreme dangers of late-term abortions outside the hospital, and Big Abortion continued to perform those procedures in an outpatient facility, that could form the basis of a large punitive damage award,” Seibel said.

The 14-page complaint against Santangelo was presented to the D.C. Board of Medicine requesting the agency suspend the abortionist's medical license. A press conference was held outside the D.C. Department of Health to share the details of the complaint with the public on August 21st.

The complaint alleged 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. It included 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.

Press Conference | Survivors | D.C. Department of Health #WashingtonSurgiClinic #HurtBySurgi

The Backstory:

Santangelo was recorded in an undercover Live Action investigation, where the late term 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. These procedures fall outside the standard of care.

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).

Then, in March of 2022, the bodies of five nearly full-term aborted babies were found in medical waste obtained from his abortion facility. At this time, Santangelo received the nickname the "Butcher of D.C."