PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, alleging false claims about the safety of the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone and citing anti-mafia statutes.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Planned Parenthood, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was announced on Friday, with claims targeting Planned Parenthood’s activities in Florida.
KEY QUOTE: “Planned Parenthood sells profitable abortions to vulnerable women by lying to them about abortion pills being safer than Tylenol,” wrote Uthmeier in the filing.
IMPACT: The lawsuit seeks $350 million in damages and accuses Planned Parenthood of misleading women and violating RICO statutes.
IN FULL
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a major lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, accusing the organization of misleading women about the safety of the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone. The complaint, filed under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, alleges that Planned Parenthood falsely advertises mifepristone as being “safer than Tylenol,” a claim Uthmeier describes as “manifestly false.”
Mifepristone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, is typically taken with misoprostol to induce a “chemical abortion.” According to the lawsuit, the drug carries significant risks, with roughly 10 percent of users experiencing serious complications within 45 days. Uthmeier’s filing also cites research indicating that, on average, more than one death per year has been linked to mifepristone since its approval. “Planned Parenthood sells profitable abortions to vulnerable women by lying to them about abortion pills being safer than Tylenol,” Uthmeier wrote in his court submission.
The state is seeking $350 million in damages, based on a calculation of $10,000 per affected individual in Florida, and argues that Planned Parenthood promotes chemical abortions over surgical ones because they are more profitable. The lawsuit claims the organization engaged in a “pattern of racketeering activity” through misleading advertising and marketing materials.
Planned Parenthood representatives have forcefully denied the allegations, with Susan Baker Manning, a national spokeswoman, responding bluntly: “See you in court.”
The legal battle comes amid broader political and legal fights surrounding Planned Parenthood. The organization, which operates more than 600 health centers nationwide, has faced scrutiny over its political involvement and funding. Earlier this year, a Florida chapter was accused in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) complaint of offering resources to former Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, a move critics say may violate nonprofit rules.
Image by Robin Marty.
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The post Florida Sues Planned Parenthood, Invoking Mafia Law. appeared first on The National Pulse.
