Jonathan Bush’s Controversial Past and Gubernatorial Campaign

Jonathan Bush, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Maine, is in pursuit of President Donald Trump’s endorsement as the June 9 primary approaches. A Fox News Digital review has unveiled that Bush previously operated a network of birthing clinics in San Diego County, which often served migrant women.

A Glimpse into Athena Women’s Health

In his 2014 book, Where Does it Hurt?, Bush elaborated on the operations of Athena Women’s Health, commonly referred to as Athena Health. “Here we were, the largest obstetric practice in San Diego County and our business was mostly Medi-Cal, the state welfare program, and migrant workers,” he recounted. He emphasized their approach to attract this demographic through Spanish-language advertising on local television.

At its peak, Athena Health was delivering thousands of babies annually. Bush co-founded this birthing clinic network with Todd Park, who later served as the chief technology officer under President Obama. “We actually owned a birth center. And at the height, we were doing 3,000 babies a year,” Bush shared during a 2022 appearance on Venture Fizz Podcast.

Controversial Questions Surrounding His Past

Bush’s comments bring forth concerns regarding his involvement with women potentially seeking U.S. citizenship for their children via birthright citizenship. As he campaigns to secure the Republican nomination for governor in Maine, scrutiny over his past is heightened. When confronted by Fox News Digital about Athena’s service to immigrant women, Bush’s campaign responded assertively, claiming that Athenahealth offered no birthing services and that it would have been illegal for a healthcare software company to do so.

“To distract from his flailing campaign, 25-year DC lobbyist Bobby Charles continues to lie about my record of creating hundreds of Maine jobs,” Bush stated. “Ironically, Lobby Charles — who lied about his military service — lobbied for a liberal pro-illegal immigrant California Democrat Attorney General. Here’s the truth without the Lobbyist Lies: athenahealth/Athena Women’s Health provided software, billing, and management services to 116,000 American doctors.”

Clarifications on Athena Health’s Services

While Bush maintains that Athenahealth did not provide medical services, his brief involvement with birthing clinics is documented. In his book, he mentioned, “Our new company started out with twelve clinics scattered through San Diego County” and noted that the majority of midwives employed were Latina.

A 2005 profile of their birthing clinic captures the essence of their operations: “Jonathan Bush and Todd Park sat in their offices in a San Diego birthing clinic in 1997, listening to the urgent and beautiful sounds of a baby’s first gulps of air from the birthing room nearby.” The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity also echoes this, classifying Bush’s work as managing a “birthing clinic in San Diego.”

Claims of Business Model and Clientele

The demographics of Athena’s clientele raise questions about the nature of their business. Bush’s comments reflect a significant number of clients being migrant workers. “All migrants all the time,” he joked, acknowledging the irony of their financial struggles as a result of this demographic. “We were hemorrhaging money,” he added as he detailed the realities of operating under a business model that catered to low-income families.

He continued, saying, “A lot of low-income families had to pay cash — migrant laborers, all kinds of people.” Despite transitioning into the healthcare technology sector, this experience plays a pivotal role in shaping his campaign narrative.

Current Campaign and Political Strategy

Bush, recognized for his career in healthcare technology, has emphasized his mission to challenge the status quo, claiming to create jobs and empower individuals to achieve their American dream. Since announcing his gubernatorial candidacy in October, he has branded himself as a Maine-first candidate. He aims to transform Maine into a more favorable environment for businesses and investors through tax cuts, governmental audits, and increased energy resources by tapping into natural gas reserves.

While distancing himself from the MAGA faction of the Republican Party on some fronts, Bush openly expressed a desire for Trump’s endorsement during a recent interview, noting, “Everybody wants endorsements, a giant endorsement like Donald Trump would be phenomenal. He’s held off. This is a purple state…we’d love one.”

Criticism from Opponents

Bobby Charles, Bush’s chief opponent in the GOP primary, argues that Bush’s past with birthing clinics directly contradicts the pro-America and pro-Maine rhetoric Bush promotes. “It is not surprising to hear Bush now may also have been involved in facilitating illegal immigration,” Charles stated. “The contrast couldn’t be clearer. I am a pro-Trump conservative who will remove illegals out of the state and ban sharia law.” He portrays Bush as untrustworthy, claiming, “Jonathan ‘Never Trump,’ Bush simply can’t be trusted to do what most Mainers want.”

Impacts of Medicaid on Undocumented Immigrants

According to the National Immigration Law Center, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for insurance programs, which compels them to seek lower-cost services with flexible payment options. This insight raises further questions about Bush’s business choices during his time at Athena Health.

“Our popularity worked against us… Pretty soon, most of our remaining clients were indigent,” Bush admitted in his book. He described how the client base shifted to those on Medicaid or those without insurance paying in cash, ultimately leading to Athena’s decline.

Looking Ahead to the Primary

Maine’s primary election for governor is set for Tuesday, June 9. The outcome will determine if Bush’s political past and strategies resonate with voters or if criticisms will overshadow his campaign efforts.