The University of Notre Dame refused to sponsor an event with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro, but supported events with pro-abortion and pro-prostitution advocates.

Right to Life Michiana, a pro-life activist group, celebrated its annual benefit in October; the university is typically the largest sponsor of the event. But according to Notre Dame’s Catholic conservative student newspaper, The Irish Rover, the school abruptly pulled its money, and prohibited student groups from donating or selling tickets because Shapiro was set to be the featured speaker. But the university hosted a pro-abortion event the same night, and allowed a student group to pay for an event with a “sex work” advocate.

“This year, a university administrator decided that Right to Life Michiana’s invited speaker transgressed the bounds of acceptable pro-life discourse,” Irish Rover editor emerita Mary Frances Myler reported.

“Notre Dame eschewed sponsorship, and, as the fiduciary for all university-affiliated groups, forbade those groups from donating to the benefit or purchasing tickets. The stated grounds? Ben Shapiro’s presence conflicts with the Catholic mission component of the university’s charitable giving policy,” Myler added.

According to the report, on-campus pro-life group Notre Dame Right to Life had already purchased tickets to the benefit, with the approval of the University, but were abruptly halted by the Student Activities Office without reason.

Notre Dame Right to Life President Merlot Fogarty and several members met with Chuck Lamphier, executive director of Notre Dame’s Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, for answers. Lamphier reportedly told them that “this speaker is problematic,” citing a tweet Shapiro wrote in 2010. He said the event itself was problematic, and that “university dollars [were] not going to go to it.” He did, however, say the university would continue to support Right to Life Michiana in other ways that did not publicly connect them to Ben Shapiro, The Irish Rover reported.

But the same night as the benefit event took place, Notre Dame’s Gender Studies Program and Institute on Race and Resilience co-sponsored an event with abortion activists. One of the panelists at the event, Sharon Lau, is currently employed as regional advocacy director for South Bend-based abortion clinic Whole Women’s Health. According to her LinkedIn page, she has previously worked for Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. Another panelist was Democratic Indiana State Rep. Maureen Bower, who called abortion a “basic human right” during the debate over Indiana’s state abortion ban in August.

Just days before the event, another student group was allowed to use its money on a speaking fee for an event hosted by the University’s LGBT Law Forum, entitled “Decriminalizing Sex Work.” The speaker at that event was Cruel Valentine, a Chicago-based burlesque performer, porn star, and sex worker. “Valentine lectured about the ‘whorearchy,’ protested the stigmatization of sex work, and called for the elimination of legal consequences for individuals who either solicit or provide sexual services in exchange for money,” The Irish Rover reported. Both events were protected by the University’s academic freedom policies.

“[U]niversity administrators weaponized policies to obstruct charitable giving to Right to Life Michiana because the guest speaker tweeted something unpalatable more than a dozen years ago,” Myler wrote. “And this apparently makes him worse than the women who perpetuate the lie that abortion is a right, worse than the woman who has dedicated her life to stripping away legal protections for vulnerable people coerced into an exploitative economy inseparable from sex trafficking, human trafficking, pornography, and abuse.”

Rep. Byron Donalds, a firebrand freshman Republican running what's generally considered a long shot campaign for conference chair, says he wants the House GOP to give more power to its rank-and file members. 

"It's one thing when you're voting no against Nancy Pelosi … that's actually pretty simple because those ideas are just insane," Donalds, R-Fla., said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "But going into a majority where we have a responsibility for governing, it's important for every member of the … conference … to have their hand in how we run things."

Donalds announced that he was seeking the post last month and was quickly followed by Stefanik, R-N.Y., who announced she'd seek re-election to the job after the midterms. Stefanik unseated Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., as the conference chair last year after Cheney's criticism of former President Trump. 

Conference chair is the lead messaging position for House Republicans, and Donalds says his strategy would be to engage across platforms, genres and regions. 

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"Republicans need to be consistently communicating … on the local level, the regional level and the national level," he said. "It's not just with the political news media. … It's on the ‘Today’ show. We see it on ‘The View’ every single day. It's on Comedy Central, it's on HBO, it's on ESPN and on Fox Sports."

The expectation among most Republican aides and observers of the conference is that Stefanik likely will win the post by a wide margin. She's spent significant time campaigning for many members, particularly women members, through her E-PAC. And she has the public support of both House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. 

Former President Donald Trump also encouraged Stefanik to return for another term as conference chair, Stefanik previously told Fox News, which could become a factor in the race.

But Donalds says his message is connecting with more people than others may expect and is optimistic he can make the secret-ballot race competitive. 

"I think that there are a lot of members who are actually open-minded about this race. They want to see plans and ideas," Donalds told Fox News Digital. "There are a lot of members who want it just run and managed a different way.

"I would tell people who think it's a foregone conclusion, not so fast."

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Donalds said that even if he loses, he hopes his campaign leads to conversations among Republicans about ensuring power in the party isn't fully centralized in leadership. 

"I'm going to be a lot more outspoken internally about what we should be doing as a conference," Donalds said about the upcoming Congress. "We've all worked hard. Everybody's campaigned hard. And so the members who are duly elected by the people who sent them should be able to have their voices heard."

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"But also, just making sure that there's that back and forth, there's that dialog between members no matter what part of the conference they might be in, and even with the leadership," he added. "It also builds buy-in. If everybody knows that they have kind of a hand in making the dinner, everybody feels confident."

Donalds' ideas mirror some points in a guide the House Freedom Caucus recently sent to all new GOP candidates about what it views as issues in the House. Donalds is a member of the Freedom Caucus. 

The 52-page document lays out a "reality check" for members, noting that members haven't been able to offer open amendments on House bills for years, that they are unlikely to have an impact on major spending decisions and that committee assignments are more based on fundraising than expertise. 

Among other things, the document recommends sending more legislation through committees, rather than directly through leadership, and expanding the GOP steering committee to reduce top Republicans' power in the body. 

Republicans will hold elections for leadership posts in their party the week after the midterms.