Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on March 18 that he has joined Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and a coalition of attorneys general in filing amicus briefs supporting the Endocrine Society and World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The groups are challenging Federal Trade Commission demands for extensive internal information, which they argue are politically motivated by the Trump administration.
The issue is significant because it concerns the independence of professional medical organizations and their ability to provide evidence-based health care guidance. According to Raoul, “States like Illinois and their medical providers rely upon expert organizations, such as the Endocrine Society and World Professional Association for Transgender Health, to ensure all residents, including children and youth, have access to quality, evidence-based health care.” He added, “I am proud to work with my fellow attorneys general to urge the court to grant these organizations preliminary injunctions to stop the FTC’s unprecedented and animus-driven investigative demands for information.”
The coalition’s briefs argue that states have historically regulated health care and depend on accurate recommendations from expert groups. They say federal interference could undermine these organizations’ ability to offer up-to-date clinical guidelines, potentially harming both providers and patients. The attorneys general also claim that targeting these organizations fits a pattern of the Trump administration rejecting widely accepted public health advice from respected experts.
Raoul recently joined a similar effort supporting the American Academy of Pediatrics in its lawsuit against what he described as improper data requests by the Trump administration. Other states joining Illinois in these filings include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York (for ES), Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated for vulnerable groups such as 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 as well as environmental and rights issues according to its official website. Its advocacy extends 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. The office also offers services such as complaint filing related to consumer fraud or civil rights matters according to its official website.
Looking ahead, Raoul said that maintaining access to reliable medical guidance remains critical: “To ensure state public health policies and medical policies are driven by the latest evidence…states and their medical providers must be able to rely on the quality and accuracy of these professional organizations’ guidance.”
