After he got his pilot license in 2009, The Guardian reported, Williams began volunteering for the Louisiana-based Pilots for Patients, a nonprofit that offers free flights for patients to travel to locations for medical treatments not otherwise available in their area.
The charity helps make it possible for patients to receive the urgent medical care they need, whether it be for treatment at a cancer center or a visit with a specialist.
When Williams went on Facebook with his offer to transport women out of state for a fee, he was operating independently of any group or charity. Abortion services fall outside Pilots for Patients mission, the organization told The Guardian. However, the organization also “acknowledged it does not control what trips its unpaid volunteers might take on during their own time,” according to the outlet.
The organization did not respond to CNA’s request for comment.
On July 5, 2022, about a week after his Facebook post, he received a letter from the rector of the seminary, Father Gregory Boquet.
“Your Facebook post publicly and deliberately advocated a position contrary to the official teaching of the Catholic Church,” read the letter, according to The Guardian.