Children’s Health Defense filed a lawsuit in federal court against the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), alleging the organization of “running a decades-long racketeering scheme to defraud American families about the safety of the childhood vaccine schedule.” BREAKING: In a lawsuit filed today, CHD and five other plaintiffs accused the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) of running a decades-long racketeering scheme to defraud American families about the safety of the childhood vaccine schedule. pic.twitter.com/3eCkjwlfaT — Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) January 21, 2026 “The suit alleges that the AAP violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by making ‘false and fraudulent’ claims about the safety of the CDC childhood immunization schedule — while receiving funding from vaccine manufacturers and providing financial incentives to pediatricians who achieve high vaccination rates,” Children’s Health Defense wrote. Children’s Health Defense CEO Mary Holland said the AAP “is a front operation in a racketeering scheme involving Big Pharma, Big Medicine and Big Media.” CHD CEO @maryhollandnyc said the AAP “is a front operation in a racketeering scheme involving Big Pharma, Big Medicine and Big Media." https://t.co/YXud9828pU — Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) January 21, 2026 “For those that are new to the corruption within the AAP, here are just a few of their very ‘generous’ partners, some of which happen to be pharmaceutical companies. This is a clear conflict of interest,” Children’s Health Defense stated. The post included a graphic showing logos of numerous Pharma giants, including Pfizer, Moderna, and Merck. For those that are new to the corruption within the AAP, here are just a few of their very "generous" partners, some of which happen to be pharmaceutical companies. This is a clear conflict of interest. Source: https://t.co/9aJdreAr2e pic.twitter.com/ziDAOaGxQr — Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) January 21, 2026 More from The Defender: According to the complaint, the AAP has worked to conceal the findings of studies that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) — now known as the National Academy of Medicine — published in 2002 and 2013. The IOM called for more research after concluding that no studies had ever been conducted to compare the health outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated children. The AAP’s conduct constitutes a pattern of fraud under RICO, a statute often used to prosecute organized crime, said Rick Jaffe, attorney for the plaintiffs. Jaffe told The Defender that while previous lawsuits “challenged individual vaccines or sought compensation for individual injuries,” this “is a fraud case following the playbook that took down Big Tobacco.” “The AAP’s actions parallel those of Big Tobacco, which misled the public regarding the safety of its products,” Jaffe said. “Tobacco created false uncertainty to manufacture doubt. The AAP did the inverse — it created false certainty to foreclose questions. Both used the trappings of science to prevent actual science.” CHD General Counsel Kim Mack Rosenberg said the lawsuit shows “the close ties between entities and individuals who work toward the same purpose — propping up the vaccine industry and those who profit from it.” The AAP is the largest pediatric trade group in the U.S., with 67,000 members. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks financial damages for the individual plaintiffs. It also asks the court to require the AAP to disclose the “lack of comprehensive safety testing” of vaccines, and bar the AAP from making “further unqualified safety claims” about vaccines. Drs. Paul Thomas and Kenneth Stoller — physicians whose professional reputations were harmed for opposing AAP’s guidelines, and the parents of four children who died or were injured after receiving routine childhood vaccinations, are among the plaintiffs. BREAKING: American Academy of Pediatrics SLAMMED With Federal RICO Lawsuit for Vaccine Safety Fraud AAP accused of operating a decades-long racketeering scheme that deceived America about vaccine safety for maximum profit. Children's Health Defense and multiple plaintiffs… pic.twitter.com/wH97j52gnH — Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) January 21, 2026 In related news, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into alleged financial incentives that he says illegally incentivize “medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines that are not proven to be safe or necessary.” “Multi-Level, Multi-Industry Scheme” – Republican Attorney General Opens Probe Into Alleged “Financial Incentives Related To Childhood Vaccine Recommendations” “I launched an investigation into unlawful financial incentives related to childhood vaccine recommendations,” Paxton wrote on X. “I will ensure that Big Pharma and Big Insurance don’t bribe medical providers to pressure parents to jab their kids with vaccines they feel aren’t safe or necessary,” he continued. “Alongside President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s significant efforts to ensure safety when it comes to childhood vaccines, my office will fight to protect kids’ health and uphold transparency in the medical industry. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again. Texans deserve to have full faith in the recommendations of their medical providers—particularly when it involves the health of their children. I will not tolerate a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to healthcare recommendations. Any provider or entity whose medical guidance is fueled by financial incentives from an insurance company, Big Pharma, or otherwise will be exposed,” he said in a release. “The wide-sweeping investigation will analyze an incentivization framework that has historically forced Texas kids to receive over 70 shots from birth to age 18 in order to continue receiving medical care,” the release read. “The investigation will examine whether pediatric medical providers, insurance companies, vaccine manufacturers, or other entities engaged in deceptive or unlawful conduct by failing to disclose financial incentives connected to their administration of childhood vaccines. The investigation comes as children across the state are expelled from pediatric practices and denied medical care based on their vaccination status. Doctors’ wages, bonuses, and even employment often hinge on the number of vaccinations they administer,” it continued. “As part of the investigation, Attorney General Paxton is issuing over 20 Civil Investigative Demands (‘CIDs’) to some of the largest medical providers, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country, including entities like UnitedHealthcare and Pfizer,” the release added.