“These politically motivated videos raise some questions but nothing I’ve seen indicates Planned Parenthood violated federal laws”.
Advertisement
The Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives announced it will investigate Planned Parenthood as a result of the videos.
Tuesday’s video release features a top Planned Parenthood official negotiating prices for body tissue, and joking about buying a Lamborghini.
Planned Parenthood’s letter represents its fullest response so far to that video, which was released last week by the Center for Medical Progress.
In the video, Gatter is heard haggling over the price she will charge for intact fetal body parts and is concerned that she will be “low-balled”.
“Planned Parenthood’s selling of the broken bodies of unborn children is inhumane and troubling no matter how any investigation concludes”, said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life.
“This morning, another very heavily edited video was released by activists who have been widely discredited and who edited a video last week to twist its meaning completely and support false claims”, said Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
She says, “We don’t want to be in the position of being accused of selling tissue and stuff like that…On the other hand there are costs associated with use of our space, and all that kind of stuff”.
“We hope you, as governor, share our desire to make sure this abhorrent and illegal practice is not occurring in Minnesota”, the letter says. Making a profit from tissue donations is a felony.
Project leader David Daleiden has been the face of the center since the video’s release, appearing in interviews with the national media, but the initial 501 organization registration forms, filed in 2013 and obtained by Planned Parenthood, list two other board members: Albin Rhomberg and Troy Newman.
Planned Parenthood has fired back, pointing out that the sale of fetal tissue for research purposes is legal with the patient’s consent.
Planned Parenthood wrote that Daleiden launched Biomax three years ago, even setting up exhibits at Planned Parenthood conferences. “The tape gives the suggestion that they were pretty close to crossing them, and I think that’s especially worrisome”.
“I want to be really clear: The allegation that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation is not true”.
Advertisement
The committee will have 7 senators and is tasked with conducting “an in-depth analysis” of Planned Parenthood and the “methods by which they dispose human remains and aborted fetuses”.
