Lauren Robel, former IU provost, filed a complaint with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission on Friday where she accused Attorney General Todd Rokita of recklessly making claims without evidence.
Her letter refers to Rokita’s statements on Fox News and in a letter to the governor, where he said he would look into Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s licensure and whether or not she reported a 10-year-old rape victim’s abortion procedure in time.
Robel, who left IU in 2021 after serving as provost, IU law school dean and executive vice president, wrote in her complaint that Rokita violated rule of law by targeting a private citizen with “factually baseless assaults against them.”
This is the first time Robel has sent a complaint to the disciplinary commission in her 40 years of being a lawyer, she told the Indianapolis Star. Although she supports abortion access, Robel said she was motivated by what she saw as a breach of ethics.
A spokeswoman for Rokita told the Indianapolis Star that the Attorney General is allowed to file anything he wants and that the office is continuing its investigation into Dr. Caitlin Bernard.
It’s uncommon for the disciplinary commission to investigate complaints, with only 9% of complaints receiving investigations from July 1, 2020, to June 20, 2021. If the commission agrees with Robel’s complaint, Rokita could have his law license suspended, although punishments range from a private admonition to disbarment.
