UMVA has learned that Jonathan Bush, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Maine, previously ran a network of birthing clinics in San Diego County that often catered to migrant women, a significant portion of his business.
Bush, who is vying for President Trump's endorsement ahead of the June 9 primary, recounted in his 2014 book that his company, Athena Women's Health, was the largest obstetric practice in San Diego County, with a business that was mostly Medi-Cal, the state welfare program, and migrant workers. He even appealed to them with Spanish-language ads on local TV.
At its height, Athena Women's Health helped give birth to thousands of children, with Bush revealing that they were doing 3,000 babies a year. The company had a network of birthing clinics, with Bush and his business partner, Todd Park, opening a birth center that was a significant operation.
Bush's resurfaced comments about his business raise questions about whether he had knowingly helped women, who may not have been American citizens, secure U.S. citizenship for their children through birthright citizenship. This comes as he wages a campaign to become the Republican nominee for governor in Maine.
The Bush campaign pushed back, arguing that Athenahealth had never offered birthing services and that, as a healthcare software company, it would have been illegal to provide them. However, it appears that Bush was initially involved with a failed venture, Athena Health, that operated birthing clinics.
Bush described the early days of their main birthing clinic, where they were "listening to the urgent and beautiful sounds of a baby’s first gulps of air from the birthing room nearby." A 2005 profile piece also reveals that Bush and Park sat in their offices in a San Diego birthing clinic in 1997, listening to the sounds of a baby’s first cries.
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity describes Bush's work with Athena as a "birthing clinic in San Diego." It's unclear what portion of his clients were migrant women, but from his own comments, the volume appears to have been a significant volume of business.
Bush's opponent, Bobby Charles, believes his birthing clinic and its pitch to migrant women go against the pro-America, pro-Maine message he’s pitching now. Charles said in a statement that "it is not surprising to hear Bush now may also have been involved in facilitating illegal immigration."
Bush has positioned himself as a Maine-first candidate, promising to make Maine more of a destination state for businesses and investors by cutting taxes, auditing local government, and increasing energy supplies by tapping into natural gas reserves. However, his connection to migrant women through his birthing clinics has raised questions.
Maine holds its primary election for governor on Tuesday, June 9, and Bush's campaign is heating up. It's unclear how his past business dealings will affect his chances, but one thing is clear: Bush's history has come under scrutiny.
