Until Friday afternoon, Dr. Eithan Haim, 34, was facing a potential decade in federal prison for revealing publicly that Texas Children’s Hospital was continuing to perform gender transitions on children even after declaring a moratorium on the controversial practice. For this, Haim, a Texas surgeon, became the target of the Biden Department of Justice, which indicted him for allegedly violating patient privacy laws.
There was no violation of patient privacy. What Haim blew the whistle on were mostly surgeries to insert hormonal devices that prevent children from going through puberty. The records he revealed about these interventions carefully redacted identifying information about the patients. What’s more: He had caught the hospital in a bald-faced lie about the very existence of the program. Most dangerous for Haim was that he had run afoul of the Biden administration’s unquestioning support of medical transition of young people distressed about their gender.
“Eithan Haim was the only person with the courage to stand up for what was right,” Haim’s wife, Andrea, wrote on X about her husband taking on the powerful children’s hospital, the country’s largest. “For him, it wasn’t even a decision. Kids were being harmed, and he had to stop it.”
It came with a high price. The couple lost close friendships, all their savings, and their peace of mind. But they never budged.
On Friday came vindication.
At around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Haim received notice that the Trump DOJ issued a dismissal of all charges against him, with prejudice—meaning the charges cannot be refiled. In a conversation with The Free Press, while he and his wife were celebrating over champagne, he said, “We didn’t think it was going to happen. We took on the federal leviathan and we won.” He added, “This is epic. This is like Lord of the Rings.”
Although Haim had raised more than $1.2 million in a GiveSendGo account, mounting a case to stay out of federal prison has cost $2 million. “We’ll be paying legal bills for 20 years,” he said.
Andrea knows about federal indictments. She herself is an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas—her husband was indicted in the Southern District. Andrea, who gave birth to their daughter four months ago, said of their ordeal, “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a year without worrying my husband would be in prison and I would be raising our daughter alone. We are now going back to normal life.”
As the Trump administration got underway, Haim had an upcoming jury trial on the Biden-era indictment. “I was facing a kangaroo court in a few weeks,” he said.
Marcella Burke, Haim’s attorney, said she and his other lawyers began to ask everyone they knew with any connection to the new administration to make the dismissal of Haim’s case a priority. But she said she had no warning that their efforts had been successful.
“We thank everyone who helped along the way to bring this massive injustice to light, and we are grateful to secure this victory on behalf of our client,” Burke said in a statement. “The fight against the evils he exposed continues, but this dismissal represents a repudiation of the weaponization of federal law enforcement and the first step in accountability for the misdeeds we have all witnessed in this case.”
Missouri senator Josh Hawley went on X Friday afternoon to tout the effectiveness of his lobbying to get the charges against Haim dismissed. He wrote, “Following my call this morning, I am delighted to report the Trump DOJ is now moving to DISMISS this illegitimate prosecution.”
Andrea Haim wrote on X that the couple had no regrets. “[I]f you ask either of us, we would do it again in a heartbeat. Because of Eithan, the world is a better place for children, including our daughter. There is no greater gift we can give her than the knowledge that her daddy is a hero.”
To support Eithan Haim and his family, please click here.
Emily Yoffe’s most recent story was about the Trump administration’s executive order on gender ideology. Send her your tips: emily@thefp.com.
What actually happened was the Greg Abbott Leviathan stomped on the rights and wellbeing of a young person, family, and doctor. He broke the law by invading their guaranteed legal privacy and depriving them of treatment without knowing them or the case and, like the arrogant cunt that he is, claimed HE knew what the right treatment for the kid was. What business was it of his? Are we now deputizing people to inform on their fellow citizens Nazi style?
It does sound like the hospital was breaking TX law, but to what degree is this happening at the hospital? If this is the only case, that matters--a lot. And if it's widespread, which is the case Haim SHOULD be making here--not screaming about an oddball case--then where is the proof of that?
Now, Herr Trump has pronounced that there are only two genders. Dictator much? Is this the beginning of genuine debate or rule by fiat. As usual, the right wants to decide what's correct for everyone--there are only two genders; that's a fact; that's a law; and that's it--while those who support transgender rights and treatment are not trying to impose this treatment or status on anyone else. Trump's very effective ad about "they/them v you" was, as usual, a lie, and now he's turning his lies into law.
What actually happened was the Greg Abbott Leviathan stomped on the rights and wellbeing of a young person, family, and doctor. He broke the law by invading their guaranteed legal privacy and depriving them of treatment without knowing them or the case and, like the arrogant cunt that he is, claimed HE knew what the right treatment for the kid was. What business was it of his? Are we now deputizing people to inform on their fellow citizens Nazi style?
It does sound like the hospital was breaking TX law, but to what degree is this happening at the hospital? If this is the only case, that matters--a lot. And if it's widespread, which is the case Haim SHOULD be making here--not screaming about an oddball case--then where is the proof of that?
Now, Herr Trump has pronounced that there are only two genders. Dictator much? Is this the beginning of genuine debate or rule by fiat. As usual, the right wants to decide what's correct for everyone--there are only two genders; that's a fact; that's a law; and that's it--while those who support transgender rights and treatment are not trying to impose this treatment or status on anyone else. Trump's very effective ad about "they/them v you" was, as usual, a lie, and now he's turning his lies into law.