Blanche, Hawley misrepresent key abortion case

Attorney General Todd Blanche and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley misrepresented the details of a court case that could reshape abortion access.

In 2025, the state of Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration, challenging a 2023 rule change that allowed the abortion drug mifepristone to be distributed via telehealth and through the mail. Previously, the drug could only be dispensed in person.

The change allowed some women living in states with abortion bans to continue accessing abortion care. It was implemented in response to the 2022 Supreme Court decision that effectively overturned Roe v. Wade. Thirteen states have since implemented total abortion bans, including Louisiana.

The lead plaintiff joining Louisiana in the suit is Rosalie Markezich, who says her ex-boyfriend coerced her into taking mifepristone to terminate a pregnancy. She says he acquired the drugs from an out-of-state provider and was only able to do so because of the rule change.

“I was scared, and I felt pressured to take the pills, so I did,” Markezich testified, alleging that her former partner had a history of domestic abuse.

Markezich’s argument is that the Food and Drug Administration’s rule change caused her direct bodily harm. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the suit to proceed, but has not yet agreed to hear the case or set a date for determining whether Markezich has legal standing.

On July 15, during Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing, Hawley cited the case as an example of why he believes mifepristone is dangerous and why he hopes Blanche will pursue restricting access to the drug. But Hawley bungled several key details, including Markezich’s name.

“One example, Rosalie Markovich,” Hawley said. “Rosalie, she got pregnant. She was excited, she did not want to have an abortion … Her boyfriend did not want that. So without telling her, certainly without her consent, he laced the drug into her drink. It caused her to begin to miscarry. He restrained her so she couldn’t go to the hospital. This is assault.”

Blanche said he was aware of the story and did not dispute Hawley’s summary.

There are few documented cases of women being coerced or deceived into taking abortion pills, and many legal cases alleging such activity have fallen flat. A case similar to Markezich’s is currently stalled in Texas because of the plaintiff’s lack of cooperation with the discovery process.

Hawley and other anti-abortion Republicans have also pushed the idea that mifepristone is unsafe and should not have Food and Drug Administration approval. There is virtually no evidence to support these claims. The medical community considers mifepristone to be safe and effective, which is why it’s the most widely used abortion medication in the United States and across the globe.

Blanche suggested in a phone conference organized by the White House Faith Office last month that he would pursue restricting medication abortion as attorney general.