Washington Times Planned Parenthood Aborted Baby Parts Hoax

The Planned Parenthood undercover videos helped intensify calls around the state for states to cutting the organization's funding. Olivier Douliery/Getty Images hibernate caption

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Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

The Planned Parenthood hole-and-corner videos helped intensify calls effectually the country for states to cut the organization'due south funding.

Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

In one case again this calendar week, an investigation into Planned Parenthood'southward alleged auction of fetal tissue came upwardly empty.

A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, voted to indict in a state investigation of Planned Parenthood. But it didn't indict the reproductive rights organization. In an unexpected turn, the grand jury indicted ii anti-abortion activists from the Middle for Medical Progress. That is the organization that famously terminal year released videos that information technology said depicted Planned Parenthood illegally trying to sell fetal body parts.

The videos served every bit a major rallying point for Americans opposed to abortion. They fueled a threat to shut down the authorities every bit well as a push in several states to cut funding to Planned Parenthood.

They too inspired a wave of investigations. After the videos' release concluding summer, a number of states rapidly decided to expect into whether the tissue sale the videos purported to testify was happening within their borders.

Despite all the worry, state investigations take notwithstanding to discover any testify that Planned Parenthood was selling or profiting off fetal tissue. Twelve states take completed investigations into Planned Parenthood following the videos' release, according to the organization.

Hither'southward what happened in each of those cases:

Florida

In July 2015, Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott ordered a state investigation to run across whether Planned Parenthood was "selling body parts," Political leader Florida reported at the time. On Aug. 5, the agency investigating the clinics released its findings, maxim that none of the state'south Planned Parenthood sites had been selling tissue or body parts. However, the investigation did detect that one clinic out of Florida's 16 wasn't correctly keeping its records of fetal remains. In addition, three were found to take been performing second-trimester abortions while only being licensed to perform abortions in the first trimester, according to Politico. Planned Parenthood disputed this, arguing that the state had changed the rules on how it measured the first trimester, as Reuters reported. Though information technology briefly looked like the state and Planned Parenthood agreed on the result, Politico reported, the organization was fined in September 2015.

Georgia

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal on July 16, 2015, asked the state's Departments of Community Health and Public Health to investigate whether Planned Parenthood was engaging in the "horrific do" that the CMP's videos claimed to draw. On Aug. 13, the Department of Public Health reported that all five of the clinics had "proper procedures in place for burial or internment of [fetal] remains," every bit NPR fellow member station WABE reported.

Indiana

In July 2015, Republican Gov. Mike Pence asked the state Department of Health to investigate the country's Planned Parenthood clinics, to run into whether they were engaging in whatever sale of fetal tissue, local TV station WTHR reported. Weeks later, the department said it had "concluded there was no show of this blazon of action" at three Planned Parenthood facilities in the state, as the Indianapolis Star reported.

Kansas

On July 21, 2015, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback asked his state'south Board of Healing Arts "to address the issue of sale of tissue and organs from the unborn" at Planned Parenthood facilities, the Topeka Capital-Periodical reported. This month, the board said it had "adamant no further action would be taken at this time," per the Associated Press.

Massachusetts

On July 17, 2015, Republican country Rep. James Lyons sent a letter to Democratic country Attorney General Maura Healey, asking her to launch an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood was participating in fetal tissue sales like those the CMP video purported to show, as the Boston Herald reported. On July 29, Healey responded in a statement that the land'southward Planned Parenthood sites were "fully compliant with state and federal laws regarding the disposition of fetal tissue" and were not participating in any fetal tissue donation, though it is legal in that land, as the Boston Globe reported.

Michigan

On July 16, 2015, Republican state Sen. Phil Pavlov asked the state to investigate "to determine whether or not any Michigan-based facilities have participated in the horrifying sale of babies' body parts," MLive reported. In October, the two departments treatment the investigations issued a statement, saying that "at that place is no testify to date that illegal practices are occurring," MLive reported.

Missouri

On July 21, 2015, Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster started an investigation, saying that "the questions raised past [CMP's] videos require careful review," local TV station KMBC reported. In September, a release from Koster'southward office said the investigation turned upwardly no "irregularities involving the transmission, exam, or disposal of the fetal organs and tissue" from abortions at the land's one clinic that performed surgical abortions, as the New York Times reported.

Nevada

In September 2015, Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt sent a letter to Nevada Planned Parenthood facilities. Mentioning the videos, the alphabetic character asked the sites well-nigh their abortion procedures and as well asked if they donate fetal tissue, as the AP reported. In Dec 2015, his office airtight the investigation, saying that the facilities weren't performing surgical abortions and that there also wasn't evidence of tissue donation, according to the AP.

Ohio

In mid-July 2015, Ohio Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine appear that he was launching an investigation into whether any Planned Parenthood clinics in the state were selling fetal parts, according to Cleveland.com. In December, the state released the investigation, revealing that there was no show of whatever such sales. However, investigators did observe that fetal remains were disposed of via incinerators or landfills, which, while not illegal, DeWine claimed "violate[d] Ohio administrative code," as Cleveland.com reported. (An Ohio Planned Parenthood official disputed his claim.)

Pennsylvania

In July, ii Republican state legislators asked the state attorney general to investigate whether Planned Parenthood in Pennsylvania was selling fetal tissue, Philly.com reported. In August, state Health Secretary Karen Murphy responded in a letter that there was no evidence that whatever Pennsylvania facilities were buying, selling or donating fetal tissue, as The Hill reports.

South Dakota

In July 2015, Republican state Attorney General Marty Jackley instructed the land Health Section to investigate whether fetal tissue sales were occurring at Planned Parenthood, the AP reported. On Aug. 11, 2015, Jackley told the Associated Press that "there are no reports, complaints or inspection records that would demonstrate any evidence (of) illegal activity in South Dakota at this time."

Washington

In late July 2015, 34 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter request Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate whether the country'due south Planned Parenthood clinics were selling fetal parts, the Seattle Times reported. In November, Ferguson reported that the state had found no evidence that the land's affiliates were selling fetal tissue. Washington is home to i of only two clinics (the other being in California) that Planned Parenthood says currently donate any fetal tissue to researchers.

In addition, eight states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia) decided not to pursue investigations into the videos' allegations.

Investigations Still Ongoing

Not that the investigations are over — Arizona and Louisiana, for instance, nevertheless have investigations in progress, co-ordinate to Planned Parenthood. And in Texas, Abbott as well said after this calendar week'southward indictment that a country investigation into Planned Parenthood volition proceed.

"The Health and Human Service Committee's inspector general and the attorney general's office take an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood's actions," Abbott said. "Zip about today'south announcement in Harris County impacts the state's ongoing investigation."

In improver, the Ohio Senate this week voted to block authorities funding to Planned Parenthood. CMP's videos factored heavily into the debate over that bill, which will go to Republican Gov. John Kasich, who is firmly anti-abortion and is expected to sign it.

Jennifer Ludden contributed to this report.

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Source: https://www.npr.org/2016/01/28/464594826/in-wake-of-videos-planned-parenthood-investigations-find-no-fetal-tissue-sales

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