Scott Jensen promises to file lawsuit on Tuesday against Board of Medical Practice & AG Ellison

On June 1, Bluestem noted in  Third time: Scott Jensen to rejoin usual bunch of quacks at Global Health Freedom Summit, that former state senator and 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Jensen had been saying for a couple of months that he was suing the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and Attorney General Keith Ellison over the Board's investigation of Jensen's unconventional health care views.

At that time, no lawsuit had been filed.

Bluestem was left to guess had been the topic of the complaints against Jensen, since the inquiries and files of Board of Medical Practice investigations are closed unless the doctor is reprimanded. We're guessing that the Board is represented by a staffer at the Attorney General's office, although Keith Ellison's name appears at the top of the letter such a letter would be printed on.

Apparently in the world of Scott Jensen, the board doing its job to investigate complaints violated his right to free speech. He's a victim.

According to a news press release mentioned in the Morning Take Newsletter:

TOMORROW: via a Scott Jensen press release, VERBATIM: “Former Republican Gubernatorial Candidate [Dr.] Scott Jensen will be filing two suits against [Attorney General] Keith Ellison and the MN Board of Medical Practice. … Scott Jensen and counsel will be available for media who attend the event.” The event is at 1:00 p.m.

Willmar Radio has more in Scott Jensen suing AG Keith Ellison, alleging free speech violations:

(Chaska, MN) -- Former state senator and candidate for governor Scott Jensen is suing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the state Board of Medical Practice. Jensen claims they violated his First Amendment rights of free speech and other rights under the U-S Constitution. Jensen was investigated for, among other issues, questioning the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine and says if physicians are denied their First Amendment rights to speak in opposition to "conventional narrative, you would lose the dynamic vitality of medical discussions that really pave the way for scientific advancement." Opponents contend Jensen, as a physician and public figure, made scientifically inaccurate statements and spread information that could mislead people. A spokesman for Attorney General Ellison said, “There is no merit to the allegations" now being formally filed in Jensen's lawsuits.

That's not quire as detailed as Willmar Radio's April 20 report, Scott Jensen suing Ellison over medical license investigations:

(Chaska MN-) Former Gubernatorial Candidate and Minnesota Family Doctor Scott Jensen has announced that he's filing a lawsuit in Federal Court against Attorney General Keith Ellison and members of the Board of Medical Practice for violating his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The following is a news release from Jensen...

Government regulatory agencies are not weapons to be used against political opponents. Dr. Jensen is preparing a lawsuit to vindicate the rights of physicians and other health care professionals, cosmetologists, and anyone else who recognizes this grave threat to free speech and the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

The purpose of the suit will be twofold: First, to aid the courts in further drawing the line between protected speech and professional conduct subject to regulation. Second, we will hold accountable those responsible for the outrageous weaponization of government against Dr. Jensen and countless other professionals who displayed the courage to speak out against censors and regulators run amok.

After being an outspoken voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jensen had his medical license threatened 5 times by political activists who leveraged Minnesota's Board of Medical Practice against him. These attacks on speech continued throughout his campaign for Governor of the State of Minnesota.

Said Jensen of the lawsuit, "For three years, while I was a sitting State Senator and while I was running for governor, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice hovered over me as a weaponized agency. Attorney General Keith Ellison joined that harassment as a political actor. My rights were violated, as were the rights of so many to speak freely during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterwards. We are going to take this lawsuit as far as we need to in order to protect the rights of physicians and all other professionals who have dissenting voices. The silencing and intimidation of political adversaries cannot become the norm in America."

Fergus Now's Dave Bishop reported the next day in Scott Jensen to Sue Attorney General Keith Ellison:

Former state senator and candidate for governor Scott Jensen says he plans to sue Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the state Board of Medical Practice in federal court, alleging they violated his First Amendment rights of free speech.

Jensen was investigated for, among other issues, questioning the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine and says if physicians are denied their First Amendment rights to speak in opposition to “conventional narrative.”

Jensen continues, “You would lose the dynamic vitality of medical discussions that really pave the way for scientific advancement.”
Opponents contend Jensen, as a physician and public figure, made scientifically inaccurate statements and spread information that could mislead people — an allegation he strongly contests. A spokesman for Attorney General Ellison says, “There is no merit to the allegations.”

On February 1, the Minnesota Reformer's Deena Winter reported in Scott Jensen accuses state of targeting his medical license to ‘crush dissenting voices’:

Former Republican nominee for governor Scott Jensen is accusing the state medical board and attorney general of targeting his medical license for political reasons.

Jensen released a video on social media (now going viral) Monday in which he said he recently received a letter from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice notifying him of an upcoming conference on a complaint against him. The letter (which he showed on screen) was written on Office of Attorney General stationery because their attorney works for the board.

In July 2020, Jensen first went public about a medical board complaint against him. He said it was the first time in his 40-year career he’d been the subject of a complaint, and that it arose after he expressed unconventional views about COVID-19. 

He said four other complaints against him were dismissed, but after hearing nothing last year — as he was running for governor — this fifth complaint has been resurrected after first being lodged 15 months ago.

“What do you think happened in 2022?” he said, an apparent reference to his failed run for governor. “The pieces of the puzzle fell into place” — presumably after he lost to Gov. Tim Walz.  

“There’s an opportunity for dissenting voices to be crushed,” Jensen said.   

The letter, dated Jan. 25, is a notice requesting that he meet with the board’s complaint review committee as an “information-gathering step.” Ruth Martinez, the board’s executive director, and an assistant attorney general signed the letter. 

Martinez acknowledged in the letter that their language is “quite formal and legalistic,” as required by law, but went on to say the meeting won’t be a hearing. Rather, it will be a forum for the board to meet face-to-face with Jensen and have a conversation about the concerns raised.

That did little to assuage Jensen’s concerns: He said he was up past 1 a.m. “trying to go through this.”

“This is all about raw politics. This is about raw power. This is about punishment,” he said on the video.

Other doctors have accused Jensen of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. 

Although Jensen has denied being anti-vaccine, he has appeared with prominent anti-vaxxers, and he once referred to COVID-19 as a “mild four-day respiratory illness.” He promoted using hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19. And during this campaign for governor last year, he compared pandemic public health policies to Hitler’s rise. 

Jensen said his medical license is on the line.

“How does that make me feel? Sick to my stomach,” he said.

He accused the state of trying to “extinguish a voice of skepticism,” noting that he is former vice chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, has taught at the University of Minnesota and was asked by Walz to help get an insulin bill passed.

“If you’re not getting on board, you’re a problem,” he said. “If they can do it to me, they can do it to you.”

The attorney general and medical board did not respond to a request for comment.

Well jeepers. 

Before the 2022 election, the Reformer's Michelle Griffith reported Scott Jensen’s unconventional health care views spread beyond COVID-19. 

Who knew? Head over to the Reformer and check out the list of unconventional views.

Should a lawsuit be filed in federal court, Bluestem will try to pry it out of the PACER system and check it out.

Relate posts

• Third time: Scott Jensen to rejoin usual bunch of quacks at Global Health Freedom Summit
• Jensen ad touts MAFP's 2016 award, but where does he stand on med group's policy positions?
• MNGOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen bail[ed] on 3rd annual Alex anti-vaxx event
• Scott Jensen to speak--again--at "vaccine awareness" Global Health Freedom Summit
• Minnesota anti-mandate effort promotes national anti-vaxxer at September 26 state capitol rally
• The headlines keep coming for MN vaccine skeptic gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen
• Small town MN freedom fighting restaurateur's anti-vaxx pals make us pause about her savvy
• Minnesota, kiss your herd immunity good-bye: Senator Scott Jensen cuddles up to anti-vaxxers

Photo: Former candidate for governor Scott Jensen accused the state medical board and attorney general of targeting him for being a voice of dissent about COVID-19 vaccines and treatment. Screenshot from Jensen video/via Minnesota Reformer.

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