Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading provider and advocate of reproductive health care, for allegedly misrepresenting the safety of chemical abortion drugs.
“It is vile that Planned Parenthood cares more about lining their pockets than providing women with factual information about the health risks of chemical abortion drugs,” Uthmeier said in a release. “When it comes to health and safety in Florida, we won’t tolerate blatant lies using fabricated medical ‘facts’ that have no scientific basis.”
According to the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood is accused of "exploiting patient trust" by making false claims about the safety of abortion drugs, including that they are "safer than Tylenol."
Uthmeier also noted that the claim has been debunked, and despite evidence to the contrary, Planned Parenthood has continued to push the narrative across multiple platforms.
In a video statement, Uthmeier indicated that one in 25 women has been hospitalized after taking the dangerous drugs, and 36 have died from mifepristone-related deaths since the turn of the century.
"This is wrong, and we are going to hold them accountable," Uthmeier said in the video statement. "They want you to believe that these chemical abortion pills that kill unborn babies are safer than the medication you take for an average headache."
Moreover, the lawsuit argues Planned Parenthood's "deceptive practices" violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, as well as the Florida RICO Act. As a consequence, Uthmeier is pursuing statutory penalties, punitive damages, and injunctive relief to protect consumers from the organization.
"At the end of the day, we stand by our women," Uthmeier vowed.
The lawsuit also comes after Florida voters rejected a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state last year. The measure, known as Amendment 4, fell short of the 60% threshold required by Florida law to pass.
You can read the full lawsuit filed in the First Judicial Circuit here.
