Center for Medical Progress Calls Planned Parenthood-Commissioned Analysis of
Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was cited earlier this year for not sending pathology reports from abortions to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, as required by law. “What is new this week is that the extremists behind this fraud have admitted falsifying one of their videos by using the photo of a woman’s stillborn son and pretending it was an aborted fetus”, said Eric Ferrero, Vice President of Communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
While it’s legal for companies to pay for the processing and transportation of donating fetal tissue, the Planned Parenthood personnel in the videos were allegedly trying to make a larger profit. At least four congressional committees and several states have launched investigations.
For that reason, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Michael J. Norton has written to California’s governor and legislative leaders, asking for not only an investigation of Planned Parenthood but also an end to taxpayer funding of the abortion business. The family planning provider strongly denies both charges, and five separate state investigations into Planned Parenthood have cleared the organization of any wrongdoing.
Shortly after release of the analysis, the anti-abortion group responsible for the videos dismissed the attempted debunking as “a complete failure”, and attributed gaps identified in the videos to “bathroom breaks and waiting periods”. “In their own letter to Congress, Planned Parenthood alleges that the videos have been “heavily edited” and that they provide a false portrayal of the organization’s activities”, Dr. Yoest wrote.
The anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress has released eight videos alleging that Planned Parenthood is improperly handling fetal tissue, but has provided no proof of wrongdoing by the healthcare provider.
“House committees have been investigating all of the participants involved in these horrific practices and building a strong case”, spokeswoman Emily Schillinger said.
Planned Parenthood said forensic experts found more than 40 instances where the video was spliced.
Politico helped legitimize the Center for Medical Progress’ (CMP) David Daleiden in a recent interview with the founder behind the anti-choice organization that released a string of deceptively edited videos attempting to smear Planned Parenthood, failing to note how Daleiden’s videos have been roundly exposed as highly edited and discredited and how CMP has ties to violent extremism.
Glenn Simpson, Fusion GPS’ founder and former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, doubled down on the results, saying “It appears they commit what I would call “wishful thinking’ about what was said“. Universities and research facilities accept fetal-tissue donations, but Planned Parenthood in Colorado does not now contract with any of them.
Leah Hogsten/AP Brandi Jensen (c.) shares her opinions with an anti-Planned Parenthood protester as Planned Parenthood Action Council holds a community rally at the state Capitol, Tuesday, August 25, 2015, in Salt Lake City.
Planned Parenthood in Colorado responded on Thursday to the letter from Republican state lawmakers, calling it “partisan political games”.