(Indianapolis, IN) – Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is responding to being hit with new charges by the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
The second round of charges come from a press release Rokita issued after the Supreme Court’s ruling, which the commission says contradicted his sworn affidavit used to settle the case surrounding Indianapolis Dr. Caitlin Bernard.
This stemmed from Rokita’s televised comments on national television about Dr. Bernard, who oversaw a medication abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio in 2022.
Rokita was ultimately reprimanded late last year. Bernard, an OB-GYN, was also disciplined before the Medical Licensing Board for discussing the procedure publicly.
He responded to the new charges by saying, “The lawfare continues and is aimed at silencing me because they don’t like what I say on behalf of Hoosiers who spoke loudly at the ballot box recently. This is an attempt to take away their voices as well. These never-ending investigations have created unnecessary distractions and expenses, and despite my offer to take responsibility well over a year ago, this matter continues to be revisited by politically passionate people who have weaponized the process.”
Rokita also defended his actions.
“The claim that my press statement contradicts the agreement is wrong. The agreement required me to acknowledge the disciplinary process and accept the reprimand, which I did — it did not require me to forfeit my right to speak truthfully about what happened regarding a major political and policy matter,” he said.
“I remain committed to enforcing the law, protecting Hoosiers, and defending their rights, undeterred by efforts to create further controversy where none should exist,” Rokita added.
Indiana justices will ultimately decide if misconduct occurred and what discipline is needed.
(Network Indiana contributed to this story)
