President Trump’s Former Physician Claimed He Was Subject of Raid

President Trump’s personal bodyguard, the top lawyer at the Trump Organization, and another man showed up without warning at the office of Trump’s doctor in New York and took all of Trump’s medical records in February 2017.

Dr. Harold Bornstein described the incident as a raid, and it took place two days after Bornstein told a newspaper that he had been prescribing hair growth medicine for the president for years. In an exclusive interview in his Park Avenue office, Bornstein said that he felt sad and frightened when Keith Schiller, the aforementioned bodyguard, and another large man went into his office and just grabbed the president’s records on the morning of Feb. 3, 2017.

Harold Bornstein’s father was Trump’s personal physician before him

At the time, Schiller was the director of Oval Office operations. Bornstein said that they were there for about 25-30 minutes, searching for the records and creating chaos, and then left. Bornstein had an 8-by-10 framed photo of him and President Trump that hung on the wall, and it now lies atop some documents as the people who conducted the “raid” told him to take the photo down.

It didn’t happen by the book

Bornstein claimed that no form authorizing the release of the records and signed by the president known as a HIPAA release was given. Because of this oversight, the acquisition of the documents is a violation of patient privacy law. Sources say that there was a letter to Bornstein from then-White House doctor Ronny Jackson, but didn’t know if there was a release form attached.

NBC News medical correspondent Dr. John Torres says that if a doctor asks for a patient’s past medical records from his previous physician, that physician in question is obligated to provide said records in order to continue the patient’s care. However, it needs to be given in a secure manner, and anybody who doesn’t have HIPAA clearance can see the patient records.

Since no HIPAA was given to Bronstein during the taking of past medical records, this records in question were not acquired through legal means

NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos stated that generally, patients are the “owners” of their medical information. However, the provider has property over the original record. New York state law also requires doctors to maintain records for at least six years. Because of this, a doctor who hands over his original records is in the risk of violating state law. Bornstein said the original and only copy of Trump’s charts which include lab reports that are under Trump’s name and pseudonyms that his office used for him, were taken.

The aforementioned third man

The aforementioned third man was Trump Organization chief legal officer Alan Garten. He joined Schiller’s team at Bornstein’s office, and Bornstein’s wife, Melissa, was able to photocopy his business card. A spokesperson for Garten said that Bornstein actually turned over the medical records to Mr. Schiller voluntarily when he heard that it was at the request of the White House. The hand of that happened a year ago was said to be peaceful, cooperative and cordial. Prior to turning over the records, Dr. Bornstein was informed of the reasons for the request and he was more than willing to comply.

Once a new president is elected, it is standard procedure for all previous medical records to be transferred to the White House Medical Unit

Schiller was unable to respond when asked for any comments. However, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated in an interview that taking possession of medical records was apparently standard operating procedure for a new president. Sanders went on to say that the records were being transferred over to the White House Medical Unit, which was upon request.

The reason why Bornstein is no longer affiliated with Trump

Bornstein said that Trump cut ties with him after he revealed to the public that Trump takes Propecia, a drug for enlarged prostates that is also often prescribed to stimulate hair growth in men. Bornstein further said that he prescribed Trump drugs for rosacea and high cholesterol as well. The story also quotes Bornstein recalling that he had told Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime assistant that he should be the White House physician.