Indiana attorney general launched investigation of abortion doctor based on 'so-called' complaints, her lawyer says, with one listing '555-555-5555' as the doctor's phone number

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Indiana attorney general launched investigation of abortion doctor based on 'so-called' complaints, her lawyer says, with one listing '555-555-5555' as the doctor's phone number
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, has launched investigations into Dr. Caitlin Bernard after she performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim.Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
  • Dr. Caitlin Bernard has never met any of the people who filed complaints against her, according to her lawyer.
  • Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita used the complaints to launch an investigation of the abortion doctor.
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The half-dozen "consumer complaints" filed against the Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim are all from people she's never met, her attorney said Thursday, with one listing a bogus phone number for the doctor: 555-555-5555.

In a statement, Kathleen DeLaney, an attorney for Dr. Caitlin Bernard, said her client had no interactions with any of the six people who have filed a "consumer complaint" against the obstetrician-gynecologist.

"None of the complaints came from a 'consumer' who purchased any goods or services from Dr. Bernard or even from a person who has had direct communication with Dr. Bernard," DeLaney said. Only one was filed by a resident of Indiana.

"The complaints are riddled with inaccuracies and rely on no first-hand knowledge," DeLaney continued. "For example, one of the complaints lists a phone number for Dr. Bernard as 555-555-5555."

On Tuesday, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent letters to Bernard announcing he was launching an investigation into each of the complaints, according to Bernard's attorney. A Republican, Rokita previously went on Fox News and falsely suggested Bernard had not properly notified authorities that she had performed the abortion on a child, who was forced to travel from Ohio due to her home state's near-total prohibition on terminating pregnancies.

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That case came to national attention after Bernard spoke out in an interview with the Indianapolis Star. It was later cited by President Joe Biden as a consequence of the US Supreme Court overturning federal abortion rights, spurring a number of right-wing media personalities and politicians to suggest it was a fabrication.

A 27-year-old man has since been arrested and indicted on two counts of rape. He pleaded not guilty earlier this week.

Bernard has threatened to sue Rokita for defamation.

Kelly Stevenson, a spokesperson for Rokita, told Insider that the attorney general's office "investigates a variety of consumer complaints." However, she said, "We don't discuss the details of investigations."

In a previous statement, Rokita's office dismissed Bernard's threat of legal action as a "baseless" attack on one of the "leaders in the pro-life movement."

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