Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 19 state attorneys general on Mar. 10 in support of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as it challenges demands from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for extensive internal information. The coalition filed an amicus brief backing the Illinois-based AAP’s lawsuit, which seeks to block the FTC’s Civil Investigative Demand that requests details about the organization’s deliberations, communications, advocacy, and finances.
The case is significant because it raises questions about federal interference in professional medical organizations and how such actions could affect healthcare policy. The attorneys general argue that political motivations are behind the FTC’s request and warn that this could undermine evidence-based recommendations used by states to shape public health policies.
“The FTC is targeting a professional organization that has helped to shape high quality, life-saving healthcare for children for more than 90 years, simply because the Trump administration’s preferred policies run counter to what the scientific community determined is necessary healthcare,” Raoul said. “If the FTC is successful in pressuring medical organizations to change their evidence-based recommendations for care, then we are all at risk of losing access to effective, necessary healthcare that is not driven by politics.”
In their brief, Raoul and his colleagues emphasized that states have traditionally regulated healthcare and rely on expert guidance from groups like the AAP when developing policies for treating childhood illnesses such as measles and juvenile diabetes. They said politically motivated investigations threaten this process and could compromise public health outcomes.
The attorneys general also argued that targeting the AAP fits a broader pattern by the Trump administration of opposing widely accepted medical advice on issues ranging from transgender youth care to nutrition guidelines and medication safety during pregnancy. The coalition urged the court to grant a preliminary injunction stopping the FTC’s investigative demands.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants, and seniors according to its official website. The office handles thousands of consumer complaints each year according to its official website and aims to protect consumers while promoting safer communities and advocating for environmental and rights issues according to its official website. Its efforts extend across Illinois according to its official website, partnering with law enforcement agencies to support crime victims and promote open government according to its official website. Services offered include complaint filing related to consumer fraud and civil rights according to its official website.
Joining Raoul in filing the brief were attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
