WASHINGTON, D.C.– America First Legal (AFL) has uncovered shocking internal communications from the State of Connecticut, exposing that state public health officials knew that President Trump’s Executive Order 14187, “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” does not impact Health Statistics and Surveillance (HSS) funding or federal grants. Despite that, Connecticut joined and has remained a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming that Executive Order 14187 will impose undue financial penalties on the state and cause medical harm to minors. |
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Executive Order 14187 bans taxpayer dollars from being used to “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”
On August 1, 2025, fifteen states, including Connecticut, filed a lawsuit alleging — without evidence — that the order would cause medical harm to minors and impose undue financial penalties on the Plaintiff states. To determine whether their claims of injury were true and accurate, AFL filed multiple records requests with the plaintiffs, asking for examples of their alleged harm.
On January 29, 2026, Connecticut’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) produced records and communications in response to AFL’s request. Not only did the records provided by the Department show no proof of harm, but internal communications also reveal that Connecticut Public Health officials reviewed Executive Order 14187 and determined it did not impact any funding or federal grants under HSS — several months before Connecticut jointly filed the lawsuit.
In an email dated February 21, 2025, the Section Chief of Health Statistics and Surveillance for Connecticut Public Health plainly wrote: “I don’t see any impact to HSS funding or federal grants related to this executive order.”
AFL’s ongoing investigation into the plaintiff states’ claims has revealed a broader pattern: multiple states, including Massachusetts, Illinois, and Nevada, have no records documenting medical or financial impacts from Executive Order 14187. AFL’s requests sought proof of penalties, clinic closures, reduced services, or negative health outcomes for minors, and so far, states have reported that no records exist to sustain their claims.
“If Connecticut was not financially impacted by the Executive Order, it should have declined to join a lawsuit,” said Dan Epstein, Vice President of America First Legal. “To challenge, without cause, Executive Order 14187’s assurance that taxpayer dollars are not used for chemical and surgical mutilation of children, forces the courts to adjudicate political grievances, not actual disputes. AFL will continue to expose unfounded attempts to clog the federal courts as part of state lawfare against the Administration.”
Learn more about AFL’s Blue State investigations here.
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