Tennessee attorney general says seeking clinic’s transgender patient records part of fraud probe

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s top legal chief says that Vanderbilt University Medical Center turning over medical records for transgender patients is part of a “run-of-the-mill fraud investigation.” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Wednesday also argued that his office purposefully kept the probe private to avoid a “media circus.” News of the investigation broke earlier this week when the hospital confirmed that they had been providing transgender patient records to the attorney general’s office. The attorney general’s office said this has happened since December 2022. But the investigation has sparked unease among families living in a ruby red state where GOP lawmakers sought to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth and limit LGBTQ rights.