Indiana AG Faces Complaint Over Abortion Investigation
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a formal complaint on Monday against Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita.
The complaint focuses on statements Rokita has made about OB/GYN Caitlin Bern, who performed an abortion on a 10-year old girl after she had been raped.
In December 2022, Rokita announced publicly that she was investigating Dr. Bernard. The OB-GYN took this action after she revealed to the Indianapolis Star that she had performed an abortion on a patient aged 10 years old.
However, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission contends that Rokita’s actions during his investigations violated Dr. Bernard’s privacy, and were intended to cause her embarrassment or hinder. They highlight Rokita’s description of Dr. Bernard, who was described as “an abortion activist acting as doctor.”
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“We have an abortion activist who is posing as a physician and has a record of not reporting. Rokita said to Fox News’ Jesse Watters that they were gathering information. We’re gathering evidence right now, and will fight this until the end. This includes looking at her license if she didn’t report it. It’s illegal in Indiana to – not report or intentionally not report.
In its complaint, the commission outlines three separate charges against Rokita. Rokita is accused of violating professional conduct rules for making public statements that could have a negative impact on an investigation. Second, Rokita called Dr. Bernard an “abortion advocate” which was deemed by the commission to be a violation of conduct rules. The last charge is that Rokita discussed confidential information publicly before formally filing a complaint to the Indiana Medical Licensing Board. He did so in November.
Rokita was reprimanded by a judge for making public comments before launching a formal investigation in December, after a lawsuit brought by Dr. Bernard.
According to a release by his office, Rokita reacted to the complaint and defended his actions. He stressed his commitment to protect “vulnerable” children and their “privacy right.”
Rokita framed his actions as an answer to healthcare providers who exploit their media and political notoriety in order to advance agendas. He added that “radicals” have created an environment which ‘cancels out’ non-compliant residents through intimidation, as well as tactics capable of weaponizing our respected institutions.
“I am responding to the complaint that was also filed today. It stemmed primarily from media reports. Below are some highlights of the response. In my response, I include information not reported by the media. “I am responsible for all that my office does and says.”
The Indiana Medical Licensing Board took disciplinary action against Bernard this year because she mishandled the abortion information of a 10-year-old and violated patient privacy laws. The board did not restrict her practice but marked it as her first disciplinary event.
Rokita, a woman who had an abortion last summer, sued Indiana University Health (Bernard’s employer) for alleged inadequate enforcement of privacy laws.
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