SCOTUS to weigh NJ AG subpoena of pro-life center donors, forum fight
The Supreme Court will decide whether New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin can compel First Choice, a pro‑life crisis pregnancy center, to turn over donor names, contact information and employment records—a subpoena the center calls a First Amendment and privacy invasion and a “fishing expedition.” Oral arguments are set for Dec. 2, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET, with the ACLU and pro‑life lawyers backing First Choice while state lawyers defend broad investigatory authority (saying compliance is voluntary or the scope can be narrowed) after Platkin formed a post‑Dobbs “strike force” and warned about crisis pregnancy centers.
📌 Key Facts
- The New Jersey attorney general issued a subpoena seeking donor names, contact information, and employment records from First Choice, a pro‑life/crisis pregnancy center.
- First Choice Executive Director Aimee Huber called the AG’s probe a “fishing expedition,” saying the office cited no donor or client complaints.
- The American Civil Liberties Union filed in support of First Choice’s free‑speech/First Amendment position.
- Attorneys with the Alliance Defending Freedom (identified in coverage as Dalton Nichols and Erin Hawley) argued the dispute is broader than forum choice, raising whether First Choice has a First Amendment claim at all and warning of wider implications.
- New Jersey’s brief to the Supreme Court said the subpoena does not require immediate action and that compliance is voluntary at this stage.
- State lawyers defending the AG told the Supreme Court that attorneys general have broad investigative authority and that the subpoena’s scope could be narrowed in state court.
- Background: New Jersey AG Platkin formed a post‑Dobbs “strike force” in July 2022 and warned on X in December 2022 to “beware of Crisis Pregnancy Centers,” according to the reporting.
- The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on December 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2022, compared with White women, abortion rates were 4.3 times higher among Black women and 2.0 times higher among Hispanic women in the United States.
As of 2024, there are 2,633 crisis pregnancy centers operating in the United States, compared to approximately 765 abortion clinics.
News & Updates - Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) Map — Crisis Pregnancy Center Map
States have increased funding to anti-abortion centers by nearly $500 million since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
States have increased anti-abortion center funding by nearly $500M since Roe fell — The 19th
In New Jersey, the population racial/ethnic distribution as of 2023 includes 51.9% White (non-Hispanic), 12.4% Black (non-Hispanic), 10.2% Asian, and approximately 21% Hispanic or Latino.
New Jersey - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
📰 Sources (3)
- Supreme Court oral arguments are taking place Dec. 2, 2025 at 10 a.m. ET.
- The American Civil Liberties Union joined in support of First Choice’s free-speech/First Amendment position.
- New Jersey’s brief argued the subpoena does not require action and that compliance is voluntary at this stage.
- On-record quotes from First Choice executive director Aimee Huber and ADF attorney Erin Hawley about the case’s broader implications.
- Specific subpoena scope detailed: donor names, contact information, and employment records sought by NJ AG.
- First Choice Executive Director Aimee Huber says AG cited no donor or client complaints and calls the probe a 'fishing expedition.'
- ADF attorney Dalton Nichols argues the dispute is broader than forum choice and implicates whether First Choice has a First Amendment claim at all.
- Background on AG actions: Platkin formed a post-Dobbs 'strike force' in July 2022 and warned on X in Dec. 2022 to 'beware of Crisis Pregnancy Centers.'
- State lawyers told SCOTUS AGs have broad investigative authority and said subpoena scope could be narrowed in state court.