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Welcome to the latest edition of Investigative Roundup, highlighting some of the best investigative reporting on healthcare each week.

COVID Conspiracy Doc Dies

Rashid Buttar, DO, a well-documented COVID conspiracy theorist, died days after claiming he had been poisoned, .

Buttar claimed in early May that he was given a "poison" that contained "200 times of what was in the vaccine" shortly after in late 2021, according to the report.

His official cause of death wasn't released, but he spent time in intensive care recently, the Star reported.

Conspiracy theories have cropped up in the wake of his death, . Anti-vaxers have claimed that doctors who oppose mainstream medicine are being killed by mysterious forces, and Buttar said he had a stroke in February, which he "appeared to blame on vaccine 'shedding,'" VICE reported.

A member of the "disinformation dozen," Buttar was known for spreading disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Buttar was punished by the North Carolina state medical board for his treatment of autism and cancer patients -- including injecting a cancer patient with hydrogen peroxide, according to the Star.

Buttar was born in England and spent most of his life in the U.S. He was 57 when he died.

The Doctor Group Behind Anti-Trans Laws

The movement to pass laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth is being driven by a small group of far-right interest groups, .

One of those groups, , launched last year to oppose diversity initiatives in medicine, but quickly became a significant leader in efforts to introduce and pass legislation banning healthcare access for transgender youth, according to the reports.

The nonprofit has even drafted model legislation that was used in three states: Montana, Arkansas, and Iowa. One bill signed into law in Montana contained nearly all of the language used in the nonprofit's model, AP reported.

Nephrologist Stanley Goldfarb, MD, is the founder of Do No Harm. He was an associate dean at the University of Pennsylvania's medical school until he retired in 2021.

Goldfarb told AP in an email that his nonprofit "works to protect children from extreme gender ideology through original research, coalition-building, testimonials from parents and patients who've lived through deeply troubling experiences, and advocacy for the rigorous, apolitical study of gender dysphoria."

Do No Harm is continuing in its efforts to spread its model legislation to more states. The group had lobbyists registered in Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee in 2022 and in Florida in 2023.

Wall Street Exec Aids RFK Jr.'s Anti-Vax Group

A veteran Wall Street executive has helped fund an anti-vaccine group founded by 2024 Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr., .

Mark Gorton, the founder and chairperson of Tower Research Capital, said he has given $1 million to Kennedy's group -- the Children's Health Defense -- since 2021. Kennedy, who has been a long-time critic of vaccines for children, was also the chairman of the group before stepping down to run in the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries, which he announced in April.

Children's Health Defense pushed back against COVID-19 vaccines, which helped to boost Kennedy's profile nationally, according to the report. The group more than doubled its fundraising totals from $6 million in 2020 to $15 million in 2021, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC. Those documents did not reveal names of any specific donors.

Groton said he has met with Kennedy multiple times since donating to the anti-vaccine group.

"I like him a lot. He's a super smart guy. Again, he's not really a politician. He's a corruption fighter," Groton told CNBC.

He also claimed to be working with the Children's Health Defense group staff to advise them on messaging strategies.

Neither the Children's Health Defense group nor Kennedy's campaign would confirm Groton's donation or his involvement with Kennedy.

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