Coleman sues Mayday Health for advertising abortion pills

Kentucky's attorney general is taking a reproductive education nonprofit to court for advertising mail access to abortion-inducing drugs in the commonwealth.

Mayday Health, which links to several organizations that prescribe abortion pills, does not directly provide the pregnancy-ending medications to consumers.

As Kentucky Today first reported late last year, Mayday placed ads at more than 80 Kentucky gas stations stating: "Pregnant? Don't want to be? Learn more at Mayday.Health." That ad campaign prompted a civil investigation by Attorney General Russell Coleman and his office.

Last week, Mayday flew a banner over the Kentucky State Fair promoting "abortion pills by mail."

“These out-of-state activists are not only breaking Kentucky law, they seem to delight in rubbing our faces in it,” said Coleman. “The State Fair is a beloved Kentucky tradition for families and children to celebrate our commonwealth. We refuse to allow Mayday to taint our values and put our people at risk.”

Coleman's civil suit, filed in Logan Circuit Court, alleges Mayday's advertising activities violate the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act and facilitate, encourage, and are "even integral to the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs into Kentucky," which is a Class D felony under state law.

According to the complaint, Mayday's website and ads in Kentucky are integral to and further "the criminal conduct of distributing these drugs in an illegal manner at least in part because it connects, directs, and funnels consumers to distributors who ship these drugs illegally."

Coleman also claims: "Mayday’s advertisements in Kentucky are unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive because they give the impression that abortion-inducing drugs are available to be delivered to Kentuckians by mail when, in fact, it is illegal under Kentucky law to distribute abortion-inducing drugs by mail."

The attorney general is seeking a permanent injunction against Mayday's advertisements and asks the court to order the organization to pay penalties.

“We look forward to defending our First Amendment protected work in court — and winning, like we have against similar efforts to suppress our speech,” said Leo Raisner, founder and executive director of Mayday, on Thursday. “Abortion pills are safe, effective and FDA-approved, and everyone deserves access to that information.”

Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, applauded Coleman for the lawsuit.

"Mail-order abortion pills are not simply a political slogan on an airplane banner," Wuchner said. "Women deserve responsible medical care, accurate information, compassionate support, and real alternatives — not an organization hundreds of miles away directing them to obtain abortion drugs through the mail. We thank Attorney General Coleman for taking these concerns seriously and for taking action today."

Read the complaint here.

(Right to Life of Louisville Facebook photo)