- Dr. Caitlin Bernard has never met any of the people who filed complaints against her, according to her lawyer.
- Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita used the complaints to launch an investigation of the abortion doctor.
- One "consumer complaint" lists the doctor's phone number as "555-555-5555," Bernard's lawyer said.
The half-dozen "consumer complaints" filed against the Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim are all from people she's never met, her attorney said Thursday, with one listing a bogus phone number for the doctor: 555-555-5555.
In a statement, Kathleen DeLaney, an attorney for Dr. Caitlin Bernard, said her client had no interactions with any of the six people who have filed a "consumer complaint" against the obstetrician-gynecologist.
"None of the complaints came from a 'consumer' who purchased any goods or services from Dr. Bernard or even from a person who has had direct communication with Dr. Bernard," DeLaney said. Only one was filed by a resident of Indiana.
"The complaints are riddled with inaccuracies and rely on no first-hand knowledge," DeLaney continued. "For example, one of the complaints lists a phone number for Dr. Bernard as 555-555-5555."
On Tuesday, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent letters to Bernard announcing he was launching an investigation into each of the complaints, according to Bernard's attorney. A Republican, Rokita previously went on Fox News and falsely suggested Bernard had not properly notified authorities that she had performed the abortion on a child, who was forced to travel from Ohio due to her home state's near-total prohibition on terminating pregnancies.
That case came to national attention after Bernard spoke out in an interview with the Indianapolis Star. It was later cited by President Joe Biden as a consequence of the US Supreme Court overturning federal abortion rights, spurring a number of right-wing media personalities and politicians to suggest it was a fabrication.
A 27-year-old man has since been arrested and indicted on two counts of rape. He pleaded not guilty earlier this week.
Bernard has threatened to sue Rokita for defamation. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a previous statement, a spokesperson dismissed Bernard's legal threat as "baseless claims" against one of the "leaders in the pro-life movement."
Have a news tip? Email this reporter: [email protected]