On August 14, 2026, a federal appeals court reinstated the Justice Department's subpoena for records from QueerDoc, a telehealth provider that offers transgender medical services for children. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled 2-1 that a lower court had erred in blocking the subpoena, which sought personnel files, billing records, and patient records, among other documents. The DOJ stated that the subpoena was part of a potential investigation into federal healthcare offenses related to compliance with federal law.
The ruling was authored by Circuit Judge Carlos Bea, who noted that the President can direct the DOJ to exercise its authority in line with broader policy goals. The case will return to the district court to address QueerDoc's arguments that the subpoena is overly broad and burdensome. Circuit Judge Richard Paez dissented, citing evidence that the DOJ may have used the subpoena to pressure providers to cease offering transgender treatments for minors. This ruling marks the first appellate decision to uphold a DOJ subpoena targeting a provider of transgender drugs and surgeries for children during the Trump administration.