(AP) — Indiana's attorney general violated professional conduct rules in statements he made about a doctor who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, according to a court opinion filed Thursday.
At the time, Ohio law prohibited abortions after six weeks of pregnancy but the girl could still be provided a legal abortion in Indiana.
The opinion specifically faulted Rokita for describing Bernard on the show as an “abortion activist acting as a doctor — with a history of failing to report" instances of abuse.
In his statement, Rokita said he signed an affidavit to bring the proceedings to a close and to “save a lot of taxpayer money and distraction."
Within weeks of Bernard's July 2022 interview about providing the abortion, Indiana became the first state to approve abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court ended constitutional protections.
Persons:
—, Roe, Wade, Caitlin Bernard, Todd Rokita, Bernard, Rokita, ”, “, Gerson Fuentes
Organizations:
U.S, Supreme, Indianapolis Star, The Indiana, Republican, Fox News, Rokita, Associated Press, Indiana University Health
Locations:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Ohio, Indiana, Indianapolis