Two pro-life nonprofits filed a lawsuit against Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington state Wednesday for conducting what they allege is an “unconstitutional” investigation over the group’s support of the abortion reversal pill, according to court documents.
Progesterone, also known as the abortion reversal pill, is a drug that is used to reverse the effects of a chemical abortion and is considered highly controversial, according to the American Pregnancy Association. The Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups PNW, Christian pregnancy organizations, filed the lawsuit with Alliance Defending Freedom after Ferguson began an investigation into the groups’ alleged deceptive marketing of progesterone, according to court documents.
Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups PNW do not currently offer progesterone but will give referrals to women for providers who do prescribe the drug, according to the lawsuit. Despite this, Ferguson reportedly demanded that the nonprofits “answer interrogatories and produce materials” from January 2010 to the present day to determine if they had violated Washington’s Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive marketing practices, according to the lawsuit.
Initially, the nonprofits sent in 1,500 pages of documents, but after doing so, Ferguson reportedly sent out demands for documents from individuals and companies mentioned in Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups PNW responses, according to the lawsuit.
“Further, by issuing CIDs to volunteers, employees, directors, and other pro-life organizations for no reason other than their association with Plaintiffs, Defendant subjects them to the same harassment and discourages the willingness of such persons and entities to associate with Plaintiffs, and are harming these relationships,” the lawsuit reads.
Ferguson has been open about his support for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood and voiced his disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, calling it “outrageous.” The nonprofits allege that due to the investigation and Ferguson’s history on the issue, they have refrained from making referrals and even public statements about the pill for fear of future repercussions, and that their right to freedom of speech has been violated, according to the lawsuit.
“The U.S. Constitution protects Obria Group and Obria Medical Groups PNW’s right to freely speak their beliefs, freely exercise their faith, freely associate with like-minded individuals and organizations, and continue to provide services in a caring and compassionate environment to women and men facing difficult pregnancy circumstances,” Tim Garrison, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “Our clients have already expended exorbitant time and financial resources trying to comply with the unreasonable demands made by Washington’s attorney general and we urge the court to swiftly halt his unlawful actions.”
The AG’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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