Donald Trump’s doctor revealed that back in February 2017, a team of a White House aide, a bodyguard, and Trump’s lawyer appeared in his office and took all the medical files of the president without any notice. According to Dr. Harold Bornstein, the incident took place a couple of days after he told the media that he prescribed hair growth to Trump for years. Later it was revealed by the doctor that the bodyguard that came to his office was Keith Schiller.
While giving an interview to NBC News, Bornstein said that he felt raped, ashamed and frightened when a team of the president reached my office. Bornstein labeled this incident as a ‘raid’ on his office in which all the important files related to Donald Trump were taken away on February 3, 2017. When this incident took place, Keith Schiller, the long-term bodyguard of Trump, was the head of Oval operations. Bornstein said that the incident was a frightening experience for him as the team searched his office for 25-30 minutes.
Before the raid, a photo having a frame of 8 by 10 in which Bornstein was standing with the president was hanging on the wall but one of the team members threw it on the table and said him to keep such photos off the wall. Bornstein further said that he was not informed prior to this raid and they had no letter of authorization signed by the president. He also said that the raid was against the patient privacy law. But according to some sources, a letter was issued by the White House Doctor Ronny Jackson to Bornstein, but they were not sure about the attachment of authorization letter.
Dr. John Torres, NBC News medical correspondent, while commenting on this matter said that if Ronny Jackson was the personal doctor of the president and was asking for the medical files of his patient, then Bornstein was obliged to provide him with that. But the way, Jackson got the documents was not safe, said Torres. No one has the right to see the reports of a patient without HIPAA clearance.
The medical information of a patient is owned by the patient but the provider must have its ownership too, said Danny Cevallos, NBC News legal analyst. He further said that according to the laws of New York state, a doctor must have the medical documents of a patient for six years and if the doctor gives those documents to someone else, he violates the law.
Bornstein also told that he had only one copy of the Trump’s medical documents like lab reports which were under Trump’s name and that copy was taken. In that raid team, there was another member of Trump’s organization and that was Alan Garten, whose ID card was photocopied by the wife of Dr. Harold Bornstein.
According to the spokesman of Alan Garten, the medical reports of the president were voluntarily presented by Bornstein to the legal team of Trump on the request of the White House. He further said the exchange that occurred almost a year ago was very peaceful and cooperative. And before taking the reports, it was well informed to Dr. Harold that why the reports were taken away from him.
Keith Schiller, the long-term bodyguard, who left the White House in 2017, didn’t comment on this incident. While talking to an NBC journalist, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary, said that taking possession of the medical reports of the new president is the procedure that is followed from years and characterizing this possession as a ‘raid’ was not right. She further said that the documents were transferred at the request of the White House.
Dr Harold Bornstein said that the president cut off with him after he told media that he (President) was taking Propecia, a drug used to stimulate hair growth. Bornstein also quoted Rhona Graff, while speaking to the Times. Bornstein said that Graff called him to her office and said that, he can forget about being the White House’s physician.