Attorney General Russell Coleman has launched a civil investigation into organizations that might be participating in the unlawful mailing or delivery of abortion pills into Kentucky.
Six gas stations in Christian, Logan and Simpson counties have been subpoenaed after featuring advertisements for abortion pills. The ads, placed at 104 rural gas stations across Kentucky and West Virginia last year, read: "Pregnant? Don't want to be? Learn more at Mayday.Health."
The gas stations have 20 days to respond or they face potential legal action to force compliance with the subpoenas.
Mayday Health, a nonprofit that shares information about abortion pills, birth control and so-called "gender-affirming care," paid to place the ads at 104 rural gas stations throughout Kentucky and Wester Virginia. The ad campaign was slated to run Aug. 11 through Sept. 7, but Kentucky Today confirmed some ads were seen as late as mid-October.
Mayday Health does not provide abortion pills, but links to several prescribing organizations. All five will mail mifepristone and misoprostol—the two-drug regimen used to terminate a pregnancy—without confirming the requestor is pregnant and early enough in the pregnancy to safely take the drugs.
Coleman's investigation is seeking to determine whether companies behind the advertisements violated Kentucky law—including 2022's House Bill 3, which prohibits the mailing or delivery of abortion-inducing drugs in the state, and Kentucky's Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits deceptive or misleading communications with Kentuckians.
“Out of state activist groups who are targeting the vulnerable here should be on notice: Keep your illegal pills out of our commonwealth or face the full weight of the Attorney General’s Office,” said Coleman. “These deadly and unlawful pills cannot be allowed to continue flooding into Kentucky through the mail, and we will thoroughly pursue every lead to hold bad actors accountable.”
Kentucky Today has confirmed with sources including gas station personnel and local residents that Mayday Health ads have also been seen in Boyd, McCracken and Spencer counties.
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