Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday filed a lawsuit accusing Planned Parenthood of falsely advertising that abortion medication is “safer than Tylenol.”
The lawsuit, filed in Santa Rosa County Circuit Court, targets claims by Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. and affiliates Planned Parenthood Action Fund Inc., Planned Parenthood of Florida Inc. and Planned Parenthood Florida Action Inc.
The 37-page lawsuit focuses in part on statements about the safety of mifepristone and misoprostol, which are used to induce chemical abortions. As an example, Planned Parenthood’s website says that medication abortion is very safe.
“In fact, it’s safer than many other medicines like penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra. Serious problems are rare, but like all medicines, there can be risks,” the website says.
The lawsuit alleges Planned Parenthood’s claim “badly misleads” women who seek abortion information
The lawsuit alleges that Planned Parenthood’s safety claim is “manifestly false” and “badly misleads the women who seek information about the safety and risks of chemical abortion.” The lawsuit relies in part on research conducted by anti-abortion groups such as the Ethics & Public Policy Center, which bills itself on its website as the “premier institute working to apply the riches of the Jewish and Christian traditions to contemporary questions of law, culture, and politics, in pursuit of America’s continued civic and cultural renewal.”
Uthmeier’s lawsuit asks a judge to find that Planned Parenthood’s “campaign to induce women to purchase abortion drugs by misrepresenting the risks of chemical abortion” violates state law prohibiting deceptive and unfair trade practices and constitutes a pattern of racketeering activity. Planned Parenthood of Florida President and CEO Alexandra Mandado called Uthmeier’s lawsuit a “politically motivated attack” and defended the medication.
“This lawsuit is just another attack on safe and legal abortion in Florida and a further attempt to erode access to all abortion care by targeting medication abortion now that we have a near-total abortion ban in the state. Lawsuits like this are part of an effort to sow confusion and attack Planned Parenthood for the care we provide,” Mandado said in a statement.
The attorney general also is seeking up to $350 million in penalties, or $10,000 each for an estimated 35,000 chemical abortions, and other fines. In addition, the lawsuit asks the court for “any additional relief,” including the “dissolution or reorganization of any or all of defendants’ enterprises” or the “suspension and revocation” of any state licenses or permits.
Uthmeier’s impact on Florida’s abortion stance
Uthmeier was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as attorney general in February. As the governor’s chief of staff last year, Uthmeier worked closely with DeSantis to help defeat a 2024 proposed constitutional amendment aimed at expanding abortion rights. The proposal was launched after the Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis approved a ban on abortions after six weeks.
