A review of Planned Parenthood facilities in Pennsylvania has found no evidence of wrongdoing, the State Health Department announced on Friday.
The review came after a series of undercover videos taken by anti-abortion activists showed Planned Parenthood executives discussing the price of fetal tissue for medical research. The activist group behind the video alleges that Planned Parenthood profits from the sale of fetal tissue; Planned Parenthood maintains that the sales compensate for expenses, which is legal.
“There is no evidence that any Planned Parenthood site in this Commonwealth is involved in the buying or selling of fetal tissue,” PA Secretary of Health Karen Murphy wrote in the letter to state legislators.
Pennsylvania was the fifth state that conducted a review of Planned Parenthood facilities and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Planned Parenthood says it only has fetal tissue donation programs in two states, California and Washington. Murphy wrote that there is no evidence that Planned Parenthood in Pennsylvania has done anything but dispose of fetal tissue produced in abortion procedures. Murphy wrote that Planned Parenthood has contracted with “appropriate vendors to properly dispose of tissue.”
Murphy wrote that the findings of the most recent review are consistent with Planned Parenthood’s clean record in the state.
“Since 2011 when the Department instituted annual and random unannounced surveys of Planned Parenthood facilities in Pennsylvania, the Department has never found a violation of the Abortion Control Act provisions regarding the procurement or use of fetal tissue,” Murphy adds.
Planned Parenthood offered the Pennsylvania review as further proof that congressional investigations into the organization are unnecessary. The organization has also been absolved of wrongdoing by review panels in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts and South Dakota.
“Pennsylvania has cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing — just like officials in every other state where these investigations have concluded,” the group’s executive vice president, Dawn Laguens, said in a statement. “We will of course cooperate with legitimate investigations, but it is clear that the public does not want elected officials spending time and money looking into patently false claims that are simply designed to advance an extreme anti-abortion agenda.”
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53 Responses
That ignores the context of Lamborghini.
No.
“reimbursement, and compensation” = cost
Not > cost
Gatter is using market as the cost.
Market, reimbursement, and compensation are all > cost. Hence the Lamborghini comment makes perfect sense.
Unsanctioned R-
She clearly stated that she didn’t know what the proper reimbursement amount was. She obviously considered the “market” value to be the reimbursement (ie compensation value). The terms are being use synonymous by her in the conversation, even though you are attempting to assign different meanings to her context.
David, You’re the one taking it out of context. The joke was that she didn’t need to accept an exorbitant amount, but wanted a fair market price. There’s no need to negotiate a higher amount if all you accept are reimbursements. (of course, the dirty secret is that all you have to do is fudge the “cost” of labor to match the price they negotiate).
Unsanctioned R-
I’ve already explained it three times. It was a JOKE.
Given the number of abortions performed there, it would take over 10 years to even generate enough money for a Lamborghini, even if you accept all your ridiculous assumptions and that all the “extra” money would be going to Gatter directly. (And, if to her directly, would be off the books and behind the back of an unknowing Planned Parenthood.)
You cannot explain away “I want a Lamborghini.” Regular people get it.
Tick tock boys.
The point of checking other affiliates is that they have more experience with the costs involved and can give real world information, which is better than just guessing. Duh.
Unsanctioned R-
1) She’s still saying she wants to find out what compensation is for actual costs, because she doesn’t know. And repeated says they are not looking to make money or a profit.
2) No money was exchanged nor any fetal tissue. So, what exactly is a judge and jury going to do?
The context will not be lost on a judge and jury. It’s not the amount of the profit to PP that matters, but her answers make sense in the context of market price, not costs. If it were costs, the answer is simple, “let me find out what it costs US.” It’s not, “Let me find out what OTHERS bargained with you.” I will concede that this is not the only evidence that will be presented against them. Far from it.
Sorry. Try again. The Lamborghini is merely (and obviously) a jest.
She says they do only 800 abortions/year. Obviously, not every abortion would be donated, and the fake buyers indicate they were looking for 10-12 week fetuses, limiting the number further.
Gatter is suggesting $50/specimen. The buyers are offering $75 and $100, while Gatter still says she wants to check: “Well let me agree to find out what other affiliates in California what they are getting”
The price different they are discussing is about $25. A Lamborghini costs $200,000 = $25 * 8000
Even assuming that Gatter is talking about pocketing the difference herself (which she absolutely isn’t), it would take over 10 years worth of abortions to cover the cost of a Lamborghini.
She might as well have talked about buying her own rocketship.
No. Price isn’t cost in this conversation. Lamborghini is the context. Again, this is one piece of one part of what will be their undoing. It’s already begun and they are SCARED.
Unsanctioned R
Since Planned Parenthood doesn’t make a profit (and even loses money by not factoring all the costs), checking out the price of other affiliates is the correct procedure. She very clearly states that she isn’t up to date on compensation costs, so she is making sure that she isn’t quoting a price that would be a loss.
Nothing criminal.
Your quotes are about market price, not costs as you incorrectly describe her words. Regardless, this is just one small piece of their criminal enterprise.
Unsanctioned R-
The Lamborghini comment was a joke taken out of context, because she also says right after that she wouldn’t want a Lamborghini and relates an experience she had as a passenger in Australia being driven by her sister.
Gatter CLEARLY states in the video: “we’re not in it for the money” and “the money is not the important thing”
So, again, no crime.
The actors filming the video keep discussing and offering higher and higher prices. Gatter is not asking for higher prices nor profit.
She also says: “Well let me agree to find out what other affiliates in California are getting” and
“It’s been years since I talked about compensation, so let me just
figure out what others are getting, if this is in the ballpark, it’s fine, if it’s still low then we can bump it up”
This preceded her joke about a Lamborghini. The context of the conversation was entirely about “compensation” for incurred costs, NOT for profits.
The fraud you googled after it was brought to your attention last week: https://www.politicspa.com/pa-sen-planned-parenthood-strikes-back-at-toomey/68301/comment-page-1/#comment-1030689
I noticed you only like to fact check the first of what will be some 20 odd videos. “I want a Lamborghini” came after Episode 1 and is only one of their crimes.
Unsanctioned R-
What fraud by PP?
Freedom For All-
The edited videos have fooled the foolish. However, the unedited videos have shown no wrong-doing whatsoever:
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/07/unspinning-the-planned-parenthood-video/
Some people might be squeamish about blunt discussions of medical procedures, but similar discussions about hearts, kidneys and bladders can be edited to make people uncomfortable too.
A lot of the same folks upset about this, are also upset about the documentary show “Cosmos”, because it sacrilegiously depicts the word as over 4 billion years old created by natural physical processes.
The full footage videos have turned the collective stomach of the public.
https://www.youtube.com/user/centerformedprogress
“UR has made it clear he thinks Planned Parenthood did the things Gosnell was convicted of.” You must me illiterate.
You guys gonna deny PP’s fraud too?
The fact is David disagrees with the law, so even if PP breaks it, there’s an injustice.
Tick tock.
Matt-
It’s worst than that. He takes evidence that proves him wrong and claims that it proves him right.
David – It’s not worth the arguing. UR has made it clear he thinks Planned Parenthood did the things Gosnell was convicted of. He offers no proof, just promises he’ll eventually be proven right. That this is the comments thread of an article titled: “Planned Parenthood Cleared of Any Wrongdoing,” is somehow lost on UR. He’s not open to evidence unless it proves him right.
LOL. We’ll see.
R.I.P. Upton Sinclair.
ronsclaroff u need to stop beeing so meen to demacrats jus cuz there demcrat, they doing the write thng in harisberg,
The only people getting convicted are the ones that made the video.
Baseless? That’s your opinion. And I’m sure it will still be your opinion after they’re convicted.
Turn?
The only “turn” they are getting is more support against baseless charges, and people becoming aware of how much good they do (beyond the good of providing safe/affordable abortions).
The people who made the videos are facing multiple criminal penalties including fraud and tax-evasion.
That’s true. Planned Parenthood’s turn is next.
I haven’t read the details of every count he was convicted of, but the overall pattern indicates that he was engaged in criminal malpractice disregarding proper care for his patients and the law.
However, AGAIN, he has nothing to do with Planned Parenthood and nothing he did has any bearing on them.
You disagree with any of his convictions?
Gosnell did not work for Planned Parenthood.
??? Gosnell didn’t do anything illegal either I suppose.
Unsanctioned R-
You haven’t list one thing that’s illegal that they’ve actually done.
Translation: I was right, you don’t have a problem with any of the illegal things PP does. Tick tock.
davis daino you is a phoney cuz you hated goevnor corbitt cuz he hated aborshun and now you aint like goev. wolfe cuz he ok for aborshun writes and you not so why you say thinks bout peeples that aint for it?,
Unsanctioned R-
First of all, fetuses aren’t being sold for profit, but for medical research. There is a cost associated with storage, transport, etc. for which Planned Parenthood gets reimbursed, but they barely break even.
The fetuses are essentially medical waste, but Planned Parenthood still gets donor consent from women to use them for medical research.
Too f*cking bad that you don’t like the specific kind of procedure performed. That’s how it’s done. It’s a standard medical procedure for the desired outcome of removing the fetus (also used when there is a miscarriage).
Why women choose to have an abortion is up to them. Gender selection is neither common nor encouraged in the US, and is certainly not by Planned Parenthood. You act as though they’ve got brochures and ads: “Having a girl and wanted a boy? Get an abortion!”
It doesn’t work like that.
That’s not true. But, you admit that you have no problem with fetuses being sold, whether or not PPP got consent, whether or not they performed D&E, whether or not for gender selection…
I have a problem with all of those.
Unsanctioned R-
Let’s stop pretending that these are your REAL objections. You really don’t care about claims of abortions for profit, as you’d be opposed to them if they were free. Admit that you don’t want women to be able to have abortions under any condition.
“I want a Lamborghini.”
No consent.
Altered procedures. D&E.
Aborting for gender.
And on and on. Tick tock.
Gosnell’s approach is what you guys pretend is going on, which is why abortion opponents have to create fake and heavily edited video to perpetuate those misconceptions.
It’s too bad Gosnell isn’t still around too, right?
The anti-abortion group behind the videos got caught in yet another lie.
The tried passing a stillbirth photo off as an abortion:
thinkprogress.org/health/2015/08/20/3693340/planned-parenthood-video-photos/
“the camera cuts to photographs of fetuses. Although the video insinuates those fetuses are connected to the collection process that O’Donnell is describing, they’re actually recycled photographs from other sources”
Tick tock
“Since 2011 when the Department instituted annual and random unannounced surveys of Planned Parenthood facilities in Pennsylvania, the Department has never found a violation of the Abortion Control Act provisions regarding the procurement or use of fetal tissue,”
That includes under Gov Corbett, who would have loved any excuse to hurt planned parenthood.
the write wing who wanna mak aborshin aginst the law shoulda go soak there heads in the river,
You’re referring to the governor’s investigation within PA. Regardless, they’re part of the poisoned tree.
Unsanctioned R
I guessed you missed the part about planned parenthood not engaged in wrongdoing.
Francois’ comment should not have been deleted.
I’ve never seen the wheels of justice move so quickly.
To all the left wingers who believe that saying something over and over makes it true, the UNedited, long-versions of each recording has been released with each press release video.
Sometimes the context doesn’t wash away the guilt, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htcqhdf4WBE
It’s like arguing that an officer of the law should forget seeing you drive 100 because you “usually drive the limit.” (well put Francois)
If mandatory Obamacare is too unaffordable, there are a multitude more GOOD and UNCORRUPTED clinics that provide real health services and government-subsidized birth control. They just do not profit from abortions like the nation’s largest abortion provider Planned Parenthood does.
Planned Parenthood eventually should lose its public funding like the PA legislature stripped it from ACORN–for being part of a criminal enterprise. We can do better than Planned Parenthood.
8th Shocking Video: StemExpress CEO Admits Planned Parenthood Sells Fully Intact Aborted Babies STEVEN ERTELT AUG 21, 2015
FTA
Today, a judge lifted the order and Center for Medical Progress immediately released a new video.
In the video, Cate Dyer, the CEO of StemExpress, is shown in a lunch meeting with undercover operatives posing as representatives of a biotech firm. Dyer is laughing about how StemExpress purchases fully intact aborted babies from Planned Parenthood. She laughs about how shippers of the aborted babies would give a warning to lab workers to expect such a baby
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/08/21/8th-shocking-video-stemexpress-ceo-admits-planned-parenthood-sells-fully-intact-aborted-babies/
Not a surprise to the supporters.
These video makers edit the crap out of the videos and provide misleading context as well as lying about who brought up topics.
But, the right-wingers opposed to abortion (which IS legal) want to shut down places, regardless of what other medical benefits they perform.