DOJ prosecutor removed from trans medicine whistleblower case due to potential conflict of interest.

Dr. Eithan Haim's whistleblower case against transgender medicine has been recused from the prosecutor who had a conflict of interest due to her family's involvement in the hospital system.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been pursuing a criminal case against Haim for leaking confidential documents to the media, which exposed that Texas Children's Hospital in Houston continued performing transgender medical procedures on minors until May 2023, despite the hospital's announcement that it had stopped providing such services the previous year.

Haim was indicted by Tina Ansari, assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which safeguards patients' health information and grants them control over their health records.

In a Nov. 13, 2024 letter, Haim's lawyers informed the DOJ of their belief that Ms. Ansari's family members have significant financial and political ties to third parties in the case, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, who may be victims and witnesses in the criminal prosecution of Dr. Haim.

Fresh Brew, a Houston-based company, provides commercial coffee and vending contracts to various clients such as hospitals, restaurants, airlines, and hotels, including American Airlines, Aramark, MD Anderson, Memorial Herman, and Harris Health, which contracts with BCM and TCH. The Texas Secretary of State lists Ansari as a former executive, but the company is now managed by "MTDA Investments, Inc." It is "likely" that Ansari "retains some financial interest in the company," Haim's lawyers alleged in their letter to the DOJ. Ansari's brother, Al Ansari, currently serves as president and CEO of Fresh Brew.

The Supreme Court has established that federal prosecutors are prohibited from representing the Government in any matter in which they, their family, or their business associates have any interest, as Haim's counsel reminded the DOJ in a letter reviewed by Planet Chronicle Digital.

On November 20, the DOJ filed a motion to withdraw Ansari as counsel from the case and a motion for a gag order that doesn't include Ansari's signature. Additionally, they filed a second superseding indictment in which she is no longer listed as counsel. The federal district court granted the DOJ's motion to withdraw counsel on November 21.

Haim, a resident at Baylor College of Medicine from June 2018 to June 2023, worked at Texas Children's Hospital during part of his residency. In a piece published in Manhattan Institute's City Journal, Haim claimed that a surgeon implanted a hormone device in an 11-year-old girl who was experiencing gender dysphoria three days after the announcement that transgender medical procedures had stopped. Over the course of the next year, Haim said multiple colleagues told him they were implanting puberty-blocking devices in transgender-identifying minors.

The DOJ accused Dr. Haim of sending medical records to journalist Rufo with children's names, but Haim's lawyers maintained that all patient information was redacted. HIPAA regulations allow for the disclosure of protected information to stop serious medical misconduct. Haim and his wife have spent over $200,000 fighting the DOJ.

The DOJ made changes to its language between the May 29 indictment and the October 10 indictment, removing any reference to HIPAA-protected information and altering the victims of the alleged harm caused by Haim's actions from "TCH's physicians and patients" to "TCH and its physicians."

Haim stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that he believes Ansari misused her power to take advantage of his vulnerability as a young surgeon. However, he added that since she has withdrawn from the case, it seems like she and her "sycophantic goons" have finally come to the realization that they have knocked on the wrong door.

"Marcella Burke, attorney for Eithan Haim, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that after over a year of Ms. Ansari's problematic behavior, including prosecuting Dr. Haim without a law license, it was finally too much when it was discovered that she failed to disclose that her close family members have substantial financial and political ties to the hospitals involved in the case. The Department of Justice must provide an explanation for why Ms. Ansari was removed from the case, the concerning behavior of the investigation and prosecution, and the ongoing use of the federal government to target Dr. Haim."

In 2023, while the investigation into Haim was ongoing, Al Ansari attended a TCH "VIP reception" fundraiser hosted by newly named TCH President and now-CEO Dr. Debra Sukin, which raised more than $400,000 for new TCH facilities. Additionally, Al co-sponsored two separate TCH fundraiser events, including one in May 2024, which raised over $1 million. Along with his aunt and uncle, Masoud and Sima Ladjevardian, Al was listed as a sponsor at another benefit in September 2024, which raised over $400,000. Fresh Brew and Al Ansari were also listed as sponsors at this event.

In April 2022, Sima Ladjevardian, a politically active individual in Houston and within the hospital system, presented a $1.1 million check to BCM President and CEO Dr. Paul Klotman and Harris Health CEO Dr. Esmaeil Porsa at an event on April 13, 2022, where she spoke as a representative of Democratic Rep. Sylvia Garcia.

Ladjevardian is a lawyer and former congressional candidate for U.S. House Texas District 2, who advocated for affordable healthcare for all during her campaign. She was profiled by OutSmart, a local LGBTQ magazine, which highlighted her fundraising efforts for TCH and BCM and her support for the 2019 Equality Act, which enshrined "gender identity" into civil rights law.

In the 2020 congressional race, Ladjevardian received more than $16,000 in contributions from BCM physicians and was backed by the Human Rights Campaign. Despite losing to Crenshaw, Ladjevardian was later appointed by President Biden as the Regional Director for Region 6 of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Since August 2023, Haim Ladjevardian has been a member of the Harris Health Board of Trustees for the Harris County Health System, serving alongside Afsheen Davis, TCH general counsel and vice president, on the Quality Committee, which oversees Harris Health's research with affiliated academic institutions, including BCM where Haim did his residency.

Both X Corp and Not The Bee have filed motions to intervene and unseal critical documents in the case, arguing that they were sealed without clear justification.

According to Haim's lawyers, the government's actions aimed to suppress criticism of the prosecution and stifle commentary on pediatric transgender procedures, as stated in their response to the gag order.

Both The Bee and X contended that the American public has a vested interest and a constitutional right to be informed about the government's prosecutions.

The government's motion to gag Defendant Eithan Haim and his counsel aims to achieve one objective: to stifle public response to the government's use (or misuse) of prosecutorial discretion in this case.

For over a year, Haim has been targeted by the federal government, first through intimidation to silence him and then as an example to other whistleblowers.

"I am thankful for the support of X Corp. and Not the Bee, as well as the many individuals who have aided me in my defense. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story in court and to put an end to the government's mistreatment of whistleblowers and the abuse of children by doctors. We will triumph in our efforts to protect the rights of those who speak out against injustice."

Tina Ansari, Al Ansari, and Sima Ladjevardian were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment.

Planet Chronicle' Brian Flood and Nate Foy contributed to this report.