Seven states — California, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Tennessee — have moved to intervene in a sweeping False Claims Act lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, alleging the company knowingly endangered infants while misrepresenting safety compliance tied to federally funded nutrition programs.
Their 176-page intervention, filed Monday in Michigan federal court, escalates the legal battle stemming from the 2022 infant formula crisis that left shelves empty and families scrambling for safe alternatives.
States Say Abbott Knew Its Sturgis Plant Was Unsafe
Allegations of Endemic Contamination and Regulatory Evasion
The states argue that Abbott—once the nation’s largest producer of powdered formula—knew its Sturgis, Michigan, facility was riddled with regulatory violations and failed to remedy “horribly dangerous conditions,” despite manufacturing products for vulnerable infants enrolled in Medicaid and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
“Abbott put millions of vulnerable infants and children at risk,” the states said, accusing the company of concealing violations and falsely certifying compliance to continue winning federally supported formula contracts.
Millions of babies rely on specialized formulas covered by Medicaid, the suit notes—making Abbott’s alleged misconduct not only a public health hazard but a direct blow to taxpayer-funded programs.
