Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reportedly filed a sweeping lawsuit against Planned Parenthood on Friday, accusing the organization of misleading women about the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone.
The suit, brought under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, claims Planned Parenthood falsely markets mifepristone as “safer than Tylenol,” a description Uthmeier called “manifestly false.” “Planned Parenthood sells profitable abortions to vulnerable women by lying to them about abortion pills being safer than Tylenol,” he wrote in the filing.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, mifepristone is commonly taken with misoprostol to induce a chemical abortion. The complaint cites data suggesting that about 10 percent of women experience serious complications within 45 days of taking the drug and that, on average, more than one death per year has been linked to its use.
Florida is seeking $350 million in damages — roughly $10,000 per affected individual — arguing that Planned Parenthood’s promotion of chemical abortions stems from higher profitability compared with surgical procedures. The lawsuit alleges a “pattern of racketeering activity” through deceptive advertising and marketing.
Planned Parenthood denied wrongdoing. “See you in court,” national spokeswoman Susan Baker Manning said.
The case arrives as Planned Parenthood faces growing political and legal scrutiny. The organization, which operates over 600 clinics nationwide, has been under fire for its political involvement and taxpayer funding. Earlier this year, a Florida chapter was accused in an IRS complaint of offering campaign resources to former Vice President Kamala Harris — an allegation critics say may violate nonprofit rules.
For Uthmeier, a close ally of President Trump, the suit marks an aggressive escalation in a broader conservative effort to hold abortion providers accountable for what state officials describe as deceptive medical and political practices.
[READ MORE: Greene Warns of Recession, Urges Action Amid Economic Strain]
