The Texas Children’s Hospital whistleblower slammed the Biden administration for launching an investigation into him and employing tactics usually seen in what he called “third-world banana republics.”
Dr. Eithan Haim was the anonymous source for a story from activist Christopher Rufo in May that published documents showing that the Texas Children’s Hospital secretly provided transgender hormones to minors after publicly promising not to do so. Haim now works as a general surgeon in the Dallas area and went public this month to disclose that the Department of Justice had opened an investigation into him in apparent response to his whistleblowing.
Haim’s lawyers wrote a letter to Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Chip Roy (R-TX) Wednesday alleging several instances of overreach by the DOJ in its investigation. These allegations, based reportedly on phone calls with the lead DOJ prosecutor for the investigation, include a failure to review evidence, a misrepresentation of facts, and a threat to damage the career prospects of Haim’s wife.
The lead prosecutor on Haim’s investigation is Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Haim’s lawyers said that Ansari admitted she never reviewed the purported evidence in the case before she signed off on a target letter in June 2023 — one month after the whistleblower story was published. Federal agents had allegedly subpoenaed records for the investigation without her review.
Haim said two federal agents appeared at his house to notify him of the investigation on the day of his graduation from his medical residency in June. The doctor described the investigation by Ansari as a miscarriage of justice.
“It’s kind of like initiating a murder investigation without checking if the person is still alive,” Haim remarked, speaking with The Dallas Express. “How could a prosecutor initiate an investigation without even checking what the basic evidence is and then send federal agents to someone’s home on the most important day of their life? It seems like such a profound mishandling of her authority to do this.”
Haim’s lawyers claimed Ansari defended the use of transgender procedures on minors, calling them a “last hope” for families of transgender children. She allegedly used a personal cell phone for the calls with Haim’s lawyers.
The most outrageous aspect of the investigation, Haim said, is how the DOJ allegedly attempted to threaten his wife. Haim said the federal agents asked to interview him when they appeared at his house, but his wife, who is a lawyer, advised him not to oblige. This exchange at the house was allegedly later broached by Ansari on a call with Haim’s legal team.
According to the letter written by Haim’s lawyers, Ansari mentioned Mrs. Haim remains under a federal background investigation to be an assistant U.S. attorney in Texas, the same position held by Ansari. She then claimed Mrs. Haim attempted to interfere in the investigation into her husband by advising him not to interview with federal agents. This interference, Ansari allegedly said, would not be reported to federal background investigators unless Mrs. Haim “becomes difficult.”
“For [Ansari] to bring up my wife is the most vicious thing possible,” Haim told DX. “She brings my wife up as a threat to me. It’s despicable. She should be ashamed of herself.”
The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.
Haim’s lawyers alleged that Ansari claimed on four occasions that the records at Texas Children’s Hospital leaked by their client had published the names of patients. No evidence was presented to back this claim, they said, as the records in Rufo’s story on the whistleblower redact the personal information of all patients.
“Thus, either someone intentionally misrepresented this critical fact, or the investigation proceeded without anyone verifying the most basic facts about what happened,” the lawyers wrote in their letter.
Ansari, they wrote, later admitted she did not know what information was protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which the federal government enforces to protect personally identifiable medical information. Still, they claimed, she insisted Haim leaked “personal information.”
Haim said politics are fueling the investigation into him.
“They don’t even know what they’re looking for — they’re doing this to silence whistleblowers,” Haim told The Dallas Express. “This seems more consistent with what happens in third-world banana republics as opposed to the United States of America.”
Ansari allegedly said Haim must apologize to his “victims” to avoid a felony conviction. His lawyers countered that basic HIPAA violations, which they maintain he did not commit, are misdemeanors and hardly prosecuted.
“Either there is a crime or not. Trying to negotiate an apology means nothing,” Haim told DX. “It seems so nonsensical. It almost seems like I’m not working with a prosecutor. Like I’m working with a first-year law student at some activist university.”
The letter from Haim’s lawyers detailed an exchange with Ansari where she allegedly said that even if her prosecution fails, the doctor would likely face lawsuits from his supposed victims. She also allegedly said it is not a part of Haim’s job to try to bring light to the continuing transgender procedures on minors at his place of work.
“It’s such a poor reflection on her character, it cannot be overstated — it’s to say that a doctor has no moral responsibility to report on misconduct,” Haim commented to DX. “It’s completely in violation of basic medical ethics. It seems that not only does she have a poor grasp on her own profession but on that of doctors.”
Haim said he plans to file lawsuits to establish accountability regarding the investigation. He set up a legal defense fund for the efforts.
“It’s not just enough to play defense if we don’t hold these people accountable,” Haim concluded. “Complaining will do nothing for you. There has to be some point where you go on the offensive and hold them accountable in a meaningful way.”