TL/DR –
Dr. Eithan Haim, a Texas physician who leaked hospital records alleging that doctors were performing transgender medical procedures on children, faces four felony counts related to the disclosure but considers himself a whistleblower. Haim discovered that a Houston-based children’s hospital was allegedly continuing to perform transgender procedures on minors, despite earlier claims that it would cease such practices. If found guilty, Haim could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Physician Faces Felony Charges for Whistleblowing Transgender Medical Procedures on Minors
Dr. Eithan Haim, a Texas doctor who leaked hospital records alleging that physicians were performing transgender medical procedures on children, has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges related to the disclosure. Despite facing a potential decade-long prison term, Haim considers himself a whistleblower and intends to fight the charges.
Haim contends that while federal trials are unpredictable, and the Department of Justice has a 99.6% conviction rate, he views the legal battle ahead as a necessary one. He told Fox News Digital, “Doctors and nurses are the last pillar holding up this whole house of cards,” he told Fox News Digital. “Once that falls, these people are going to have to face a reckoning of the consequences of their actions that they had participated in and proliferated the greatest medical crime in human history.”
Health care defense attorney Ron Chapman supports Haim, stating that the leaked documents were of public interest amid a significant cultural conflict. According to Chapman, the government appears to be going above and beyond to prosecute Haim, despite the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) not including criminal penalties for violations.
The DOJ indictment charges against Haim were unveiled recently. The charges were related to HIPAA violations resulting from Haim’s disclosures that the Texas Children’s Hospital was secretly carrying out transgender procedures and treatments on minors.
The previously sealed indictment accused Haim of attempting to reactivate his login credentials under false pretenses after they had expired due to inactivity. If convicted, Haim could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The indictment alleges that Haim illegally accessed personal data from the hospital’s electronic system, including patient names, treatment codes, and attending physicians. According to Haim, he discovered through these documents that the Houston-based children’s hospital was continuing to perform transgender medical procedures, such as those involving implantable puberty blockers.
The children’s hospital previously announced in 2022 that it would stop performing transgender procedures on children following Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s statement that some medical interventions could be deemed child abuse under state law.
Haim, who claims he has refused to take a plea agreement, told Fox News Digital that he was first approached at his door by FBI agents in June 2023. Over the following six months, Haim decided to take the case public. “The problem is that if you legitimize this corruption in this process, then you shut the door for every other whistleblower in the country within the health care system,” Haim said.
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