Democrats grill whistleblower who exposed transgender procedures at Texas children’s hospital
House Judiciary Committee Democrats grilled whistleblower Dr. Eithan Haim this week over his criticism of transgender medical treatments, months after the Biden Justice Department dropped criminal charges against him. The hearing, titled “Ending Lawfare Against Whistleblowers Who Protect Children,” saw Haim defending his decision to leak documents to the media, exposing Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for performing transgender medical procedures on minors through May 2023.
“I wouldn’t want this to be done to anyone, not even liberals, even if they’re the craziest communists ever,” Haim stated during the hearing. “There’s no one in this country who should be falsely accused and have the entire power of the federal government brought down on them.”
Ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned Haim’s lawyer, Mark Lytle, about the precedent behind Haim’s case, drawing a comparison to a hypothetical scenario involving vaccination records for measles. Raskin inquired if Haim had the right to release the information he obtained, to which Lytle responded that Haim was authorized to do so as a whistleblower reporting wrongdoing.
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., questioned whether the charges against Haim were part of an effort by the administration to intimidate dissenters. Haim responded, “There has to be a certain standard with our justice system, where people can’t just bring these charges and power through the courts and send these people to prison, because that’s what was going to happen to me.”
Haim’s whistleblower report came during a transitional period in Texas’ policies regarding transgender treatments for minors. In March 2022, Texas Children’s Hospital announced it would cease such services following Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate them as potential child abuse. The hospital later resumed these services after ensuring compliance with existing laws. In June 2024, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Senate Bill 14, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state.
Haim, a surgeon formerly affiliated with Texas Children’s Hospital, was indicted on federal charges for allegedly accessing and sharing private medical records of minors receiving transgender medical procedures. The DOJ claimed Haim obtained these records under false pretenses and provided them to the media to harm the hospital’s reputation. However, Haim pleaded not guilty, arguing that no personally identifiable information was disclosed and that he was exposing “child abuse” in the hospital.
In January, the DOJ dismissed the case “with prejudice,” preventing future prosecution on the same grounds. Shortly after, President Donald Trump signed the “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” executive order, suspending federal funds for gender-transition procedures for minors, including coverage under Medicaid.
The hearing shed light on the complexities surrounding whistleblowers and their role in exposing potential wrongdoing. It also highlighted the ongoing debate over transgender medical treatments for minors and the legal implications of such procedures. The case of Dr. Eithan Haim serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting whistleblowers and ensuring transparency in the medical field.
