First appeared on FOX: Two Democratic state attorneys general are being sued for violating the First Amendment by “threatening” to shut down an organization that is trying to expand support for sexual assault victims through “self-administered DNA collection” kits as an alternative to the government.
Leda Health Corporation says it’s working to “break the cycle of sexual violence” and is developing Early Evidence Kits (EEKs) that allow victims to collect evidence themselves and “receive time-sensitive DNA following a sexual assault” instead of obtaining a traditional rape kit at a hospital. CEO Madison Campbell filed the lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James and Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry after both wrote letters opposing the at-home alternative kits.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Campbell’s lawyer, Alex Little, emphasized that the lawsuit is “focused on the attorneys general’s threats to shut down the company and fine Campbell for his comments about sexual assault and sexual assault victims.”
“Ultimately, this lawsuit is about a difference of opinion about what should be communicated to victims of sexual assault. As we say in the complaint, the attorneys general only want to communicate a very specific message to victims,” Little told Fox News Digital. “The reality is, we believe victims deserve a broader range of input and information, and Reda is part of the process of providing that information to victims.”
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New York Attorney General Letitia James (Brendan McDiarmid/Reuters)
The lawsuit, filed Monday, alleges that defendants James and Henry “threatened, coerced and intimidated Reda Health into ceasing its operations in Pennsylvania and New York.”
“The lawsuit includes letters and threats of sorts from attorneys general of both states, including the attorney general of Pennsylvania, threatening Reda with a lawsuit if the company does not shut down within seven days,” Little said in an interview. “These threats are directly related to Reda continuing to send a message to victims that there are alternatives to traditional rape kits.”
Little said the Democratic attorneys general’s efforts to interfere with the company’s messaging violate the First Amendment rights of Leda Health and its CEO.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry testified at a Senate subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill on July 26, 2023. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)
The lawsuit also says the defendants believe that “Reda Health and Campbell cannot inform women who have been sexually assaulted of alternatives to government-recommended services (such as traditional forensic exams conducted by hospitals or law enforcement) because doing so may discourage victims from seeking such services. They argue that doing so would be ‘deceptive’ even if all of the information Reda Health provides were true.”
In his letter, Henry called EEK’s offer of alternatives to government services a “deceptive practice,” according to the lawsuit.
“Both attorneys general believe that leaders should not tell the public they can do this and that doing so would mislead the public about the admissibility of evidence and what will happen in court,” Little said.
“This lawsuit is about a difference of opinion about what should be communicated to victims of sexual assault,” attorneys for Rena Health said in a statement. (iStock)
“I think what’s important about this case is that it reminds public officials like the attorney general that if they’re going to exercise this extreme power, they have to exercise it in a way that respects the First Amendment rights of individuals and businesses,” Little said. “The reality is that sexual assault victims face incredibly difficult circumstances in this country and they don’t get enough support. Reda was founded to change that and to help. If people get in the way, we need to use every legal tool we can to make sure those obstacles are removed.”
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Asked about the lawsuit, Letitia James’ office sent Fox News Digital a copy of a cease and desist letter it sent to Leda Health in 2019 regarding the kits, in which the attorney general’s office said the EEK Kit’s advertising was “reckless.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Henry’s office for comment.
