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| Second Planned Parenthood video shows official discussing fetal tissue | Second Planned Parenthood video shows official discussing fetal tissue |
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| An anti-abortion group has released a second undercover video of an official at a Planned Parenthood affiliate discussing the costs associated with harvesting fetal tissue for medical research. | An anti-abortion group has released a second undercover video of an official at a Planned Parenthood affiliate discussing the costs associated with harvesting fetal tissue for medical research. |
| The edited video, which runs for over eight minutes, is the second surreptitious recording to be released by activist group Center for Medical Progress in an attempt to show that Planned Parenthood is breaking the law by selling fetal remains. The first video showed a Planned Parenthood official discussing in detail how to abort a fetus to preserve its organs for medical research. | |
| The second video, released on Tuesday, was filmed during a business lunch and shows excerpts from a conversation between Mary Gatter, identified as a former medical director at Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles who oversees the organization’s Pasadena affiliate, and two anti-abortion activists posing as representatives from a “fetal tissue procurement company”. | |
| Planned Parenthood has categorically and repeatedly denied that it illegally profits from organ sales. The reproductive rights organization has said that the charges are to cover the the clinics’ costs in procuring and delivering the tissue donations. | |
| Selling fetal tissue for profit violates state and federal laws, but it is not illegal to be reimbursed for costs associated with handling tissue donations. | |
| Related: Planned Parenthood ‘sting’ video: the abortion debate’s latest battleground | Related: Planned Parenthood ‘sting’ video: the abortion debate’s latest battleground |
| In the video, Gatter confers about the cost of fetal tissue donations with the questioners, who encourage her to name a price for the specimens. Gatter explains that Planned Parenthood is “not in it for the money”. | |
| “We don’t want to be in the position of being accused of selling tissue, and all that kind of stuff. On the other hand, there are costs associated with the use of our space,” Gatter says. | “We don’t want to be in the position of being accused of selling tissue, and all that kind of stuff. On the other hand, there are costs associated with the use of our space,” Gatter says. |
| When Gatter suggests $75, the female buyer suggests that the rate is too low. The fake buyer suggests $100, and Gatter appears to agree with the rate. | |
| Gatter says on camera that it has been years since she last discussed compensation for the specimens and says she would have to talk to other affiliates before agreeing to the charges. | Gatter says on camera that it has been years since she last discussed compensation for the specimens and says she would have to talk to other affiliates before agreeing to the charges. |
| Gatter also says in the video that she would have to ask the surgeon performing the abortions to use Ipas, a nonprofit company that sells manual vacuum aspirators. She says changing the nature of care is against protocol, but she would consult with the surgeon to see if he would agree to using what she calls a “less crunchy” technique in order to increase the chances of harvesting whole specimens during the procedure. | |
| At the end of the video, Gatter and the buyers discuss the costs again. | At the end of the video, Gatter and the buyers discuss the costs again. |
| “The money is not the important thing for me. But it has to be big enough that it makes it worthwhile for me,” Gatter says. The fake buyers agree enthusiastically. | “The money is not the important thing for me. But it has to be big enough that it makes it worthwhile for me,” Gatter says. The fake buyers agree enthusiastically. |
| Gatter jokes at the end of the lunch: “I want a Lamborghini.” | Gatter jokes at the end of the lunch: “I want a Lamborghini.” |
| In a statement, Planned Parenthood condemned the “highly edited video” by the “widely discredited” activists. | In a statement, Planned Parenthood condemned the “highly edited video” by the “widely discredited” activists. |
| “At this time, Planned Parenthood cannot confirm the authenticity of this tape, and nobody can tell exactly what was discussed because of the extremely heavy editing, the agenda of the activists who produced it, and the fact that the original footage has not been made available,” Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood of America, said in an statement. | |
| The video is dramatized by ominous background music, and certain snippets are replayed for emphasis. The first video sent shockwaves through the reproductive rights community, reigniting a sensitive debate over the use of fetal tissue harvested during abortions. | The video is dramatized by ominous background music, and certain snippets are replayed for emphasis. The first video sent shockwaves through the reproductive rights community, reigniting a sensitive debate over the use of fetal tissue harvested during abortions. |
| Conservatives and anti-choice groups were swift to condemn the organization. The video has spurred investigations by Congress and a handful of states, including Georgia, Indiana and Ohio. Nearly all the Republican presidential candidates have weighed in, with a number of them renewing calls to defund Planned Parenthood. | Conservatives and anti-choice groups were swift to condemn the organization. The video has spurred investigations by Congress and a handful of states, including Georgia, Indiana and Ohio. Nearly all the Republican presidential candidates have weighed in, with a number of them renewing calls to defund Planned Parenthood. |
| Last week, a senior Planned Parenthood official was asked to testify before the House energy and commerce committee about its involvement in collecting aborted fetal organs for research. In a letter to Congress, the organization denied all wrongdoing, and called the video an attack by extremists. | Last week, a senior Planned Parenthood official was asked to testify before the House energy and commerce committee about its involvement in collecting aborted fetal organs for research. In a letter to Congress, the organization denied all wrongdoing, and called the video an attack by extremists. |
| “As a high-quality healthcare provider, Planned Parenthood has extremely high standards, and any time those standards are not being met, we take swift action,” the letter said. “But what we know right now is that a group of extremists who have intimidated women and doctors for years – in their agenda to ban abortion completely – are not ‘documenting’ misdeeds; they are trying to create them, quite unsuccessfully.” | “As a high-quality healthcare provider, Planned Parenthood has extremely high standards, and any time those standards are not being met, we take swift action,” the letter said. “But what we know right now is that a group of extremists who have intimidated women and doctors for years – in their agenda to ban abortion completely – are not ‘documenting’ misdeeds; they are trying to create them, quite unsuccessfully.” |
| Planned Parenthood’s letter also raised concerns about the group behind the videos, accusing David Daleiden, the head of the Center of Medical Progress, of being involved in past attacks on the organization. | Planned Parenthood’s letter also raised concerns about the group behind the videos, accusing David Daleiden, the head of the Center of Medical Progress, of being involved in past attacks on the organization. |
| “We don’t know what the Center will release next, but we know enough to be deeply concerned about the infiltration of Planned Parenthood and its affiliates,” the letter said. | “We don’t know what the Center will release next, but we know enough to be deeply concerned about the infiltration of Planned Parenthood and its affiliates,” the letter said. |
| The Center for Medical Progress describes itself as a group of citizen journalists “concerned about contemporary bioethical issues”. Though the group was recently founded, the members of its board have a long and controversial history of anti-abortion activism. | |
| Daleiden has been actively involved in pro-life activism since his youth and formerly worked at Live Action, a pro-life organization known for its sting videos against Planned Parenthood clinics. He also participated in the Genocide Awareness Project, which shows graphic images of aborted fetuses to the public. | |
| Troy Newman, listed as a board member of Center for Medical Progress, is also the president of Operation Rescue, a Christian activist pro-life organization. In 2003, Newman called the murder of an abortion doctor “legally justified”. | |
| In the letter to Congress, Planned Parenthood said: “Over the last eight years, Mr Daleiden has participated in at least 10 separate attacks on Planned Parenthood involving gaining access to our health centers and offices under false pretenses, taping staff (and sometimes patients) without their knowledge on at least 65 occasions (not counting this latest fraud), and misleading the public with heavily edited tapes and flat-out false charges.” |