Dr. Eithan Haim, a Texas physician who revealed that Texas Children’s Hospital was performing “gender-affirming care” on patients as young as 11, now faces four felony counts for allegedly violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). The Department of Justice’s indictment comes after Haim provided documents to journalist Christopher Rufo, which suggested the hospital had secretly continued gender transition interventions on minors despite announcing a halt to such practices in March 2022.
Rufo, who originally broke the story, believes the charges against Haim are unfounded, noting that the documents shared with him were carefully redacted to protect individual identities.
Federal agents first approached Haim in June 2023, just as he was set to graduate from Texas Children’s Hospital’s residency program, identifying him as a potential “leaker.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari then began threatening Haim with prosecution, culminating in U.S. marshals appearing at his home earlier this week to serve him with the indictment.
Haim’s attorney, Marcella Burke, states that her client is eager to present his side of the story in court, confident that the correct decision will be reached. Rufo argues that the Biden administration’s Department of Justice has a history of targeting political opponents, including former President Trump, conservative school board protesters, and individuals praying outside abortion clinics.
The case against Dr. Haim is seen by some as an “inflection point,” with the potential to deter other medical professionals from exposing controversial practices in the future if he is found guilty and silenced.
