​​Missouri AG sues, alleging deception over abortion pill

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, claiming the group violated a state consumer protection law. Bailey’s lawsuit hinges on Planned Parenthood’s claim that chemical abortion drugs are safer than Tylenol. Nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug mifepristone experience a serious adverse event such as sepsis, infection, or hemorrhaging, according to a recent study. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration claims the drug only causes complications for between 2.9% and 4.6% of women who take mifepristone along with misoprostol.

In his lawsuit, Bailey claimed Planned Parenthood engaged in false advertising to claim the pill is safer than it is, and that the organization encouraged women to conceal their use of the abortion drug from emergency medical providers. He argued that comparing the risks associated with one drug, mifepristone, to the misuse of another, Tylenol, is illegal.

Planned Parenthood told The Hill that it wasn’t surprised by the lawsuit, which it said was meritless.

Bailey’s lawsuit seeks:

• More than $1.8 million in civil penalties for daily violations of Missouri law

• Reimbursement to the state for Medicaid claims related to abortion pill complications

• Financial restitution to women in the state who received abortion pills from Planned Parenthood over the last five years.

What are pro-life advocates saying about the lawsuit? Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, praised Bailey’s actions and called Planned Parenthood’s actions medical negligence disguised as health care. Meanwhile, President and Founder of Live Action Lila Rose called for Planned Parenthood to be defunded permanently. Earlier this week, a federal judge temporarily blocked Medicaid funding cuts for some Planned Parenthood locations that were included in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

Dig deeper: Read my report about the report that examined serious adverse events tied to Mifepristone.