Americans have been hit with report after report of government corruption. But this is truly heinous.
And now Ted Cruz just did the unthinkable to one government whistleblower.
Senator Ted Cruz (R–Texas) has called for answers from the Department of Justice regarding the prosecution of Dr. Eithan Haim, who faces four felony charges for allegedly violating HIPAA by leaking medical records that revealed the operations of Texas Children’s Hospital’s transgender clinic last year.
In a letter to U.S. attorney Alamdar Hamdani on Tuesday, Cruz expressed concern that the federal government is using the legal system against the Texas surgeon-turned-whistleblower in a “selective” manner. The DOJ unveiled the four-count indictment on June 17, coinciding with Haim’s initial court appearance.
Haim was informed of his indictment two weeks before the hearing by three armed U.S. marshals.
He is accused of accessing and obtaining personal information of pediatric patients at Texas Children’s Hospital without authorization during the final weeks of his medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine.
In May 2023, conservative journalist Christopher Rufo released documents provided by Haim, showing that Texas Children’s Hospital was performing transgender procedures on minors despite earlier promises to cease such operations.
The hospital’s misleading announcement was in response to a February 2022 legal opinion by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which equated transgender treatments with child abuse.
This prompted Governor Greg Abbott to direct the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate gender-affirming care practices in the state.
By September 2023, Texas Children’s Hospital had to comply with a new law banning surgical and prescription treatments for transgender youth.
Federal prosecutors claim the leaked medical records were un-redacted. However, Haim and Rufo insist that much of the sensitive information was redacted to protect the identities of minors.
While HIPAA prohibits sharing protected health information, it allows exceptions in cases of serious and imminent threats to health or safety.
In his four-page letter, Cruz argued that the DOJ’s investigation into Haim “appears to bear the markings of a politically-driven prosecution,” aligning with what he described as the Biden administration’s pattern.
The senator pointed to the arrest of a pro-life activist and the prosecution of another as examples of the DOJ’s selective targeting of political opponents.
“These glaring disparities reveal a justice system that is not merely blind but rather selectively harsh, targeting those with opposing views while allowing others to flout the law with effective impunity,” Cruz wrote in his capacity as ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
“It is for this reason that I am concerned about the prosecution of Dr. Haim, a respected member of the medical community who has devoted his career to saving lives,” he added.
“Now, because he acted to expose the barbaric and illegal practice of minor gender transition surgery, Dr. Haim faces the prospect of federal prison, substantial fines, and the loss of his medical license.”
If convicted, Haim could face up to ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum fine. The case is being handled in the Southern District of Texas.
Cruz has asked Hamdani to provide information on all felony HIPAA cases prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Texas in the last two years and to answer several questions, including whether the lead prosecutor had any communications with individuals outside his office or the DOJ. Hamdani has until July 11 to respond.
“Political prosecution of whistleblowers not only undermines the integrity of the Department of Justice, but also sets a dangerous precedent for intimidating others from exposing wrongdoing,” Cruz’s letter concluded. “It has no place in our system of justice.”
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
