Civic Register
| 12.14.17

FBI Investigating Planned Parenthood

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UPDATE – December 14, 2017: The Department of Justice has launched a federal investigation into Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of fetal tissue.

Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd formally requested unredacted documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee—the congressional panel that led the 2016 probe into the women’s health organization.

“At this point, the records are intended for investigative use only—we understand that a resolution from the Senate may be required if the Department were to use any of the unredacted materials in a formal legal proceeding, such as a grand jury,” Boyd wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News.

Countable’s earlier story appears below.

What’s the story?

The FBI recently asked the Senate Judiciary Committee for unredacted documents it obtained

from abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood. According to sources who spoke with The Hill, the FBI request has led some to wonder if the agency is considering a criminal probe into the alleged sale of fetal tissue.

Last December, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) referred several abortion providers to the FBI for investigation. As Fox News explained, "The senator said at the time that the Judiciary Committee had discovered enough evidence that shows how abortion providers had transferred fetal tissue and body parts from aborted fetuses for research by charging amounts higher than the actual cost."

Under a 1993 law, abortion providers are allowed to transfer fetal tissue for research at a cost equal to the price of obtaining it, but not for a profit.

Sources told the The Hill that Grassley is working to fulfill the FBI’s request in compliance with Senate rules.

Why does it matter?

The Senate probe (and a similar investigation by the House) was launched in response to the 2015 release of several undercover videos from anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress that showed abortion providers discussing how they took money for aborted fetuses.

As part of an investigation triggered by the videos, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted interviews and gathered documents. According to The Hill’s sources, "it is that information, including the unredacted documents Senate Judiciary gathered from abortion providers and fetal tissue firms, that was requested by the FBI."

The Justice Department and FBI have declined to comment.

Planned Parenthood has rejected claims it violated any laws or acted unethically.

"Planned Parenthood strongly disagrees with the recommendations of the Senate Republican staff to refer this matter to the Justice Department, especially in light of the fact that investigations by three other Congressional committees, and investigations in 13 states including a Grand Jury in Texas, have all shown that Planned Parenthood did nothing wrong," said Dana Singiser, Vice President of Government Affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The family planning organization also noted that it provided over 30,000 pages of documents and several witnesses to the earlier congressional probes.

These new accusations, Singiser said, "are baseless, and a part of a widely discredited attempt to end access to reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood." She continued:

"Planned Parenthood has never, and would never, profit while facilitating its patients’ choice to donate fetal tissue for use in important medical research."

Members of the pro-life community welcome a possible FBI probe. In a statement to Fox News, Catherine Glenn Foster, chief executive officer and president of Americans United for Life, said:

"While it has taken over two years for the FBI to show any sign of investigating Planned Parenthood’s role in the harvesting and selling of baby body parts, [we are] encouraged to see signs of an investigation moving forward." She added:

"There is a great deal of evidence showing the abortion industry has skirted both state and federal laws that serve as the bare-minimum protection for the dignity of human life."

A source familiar with Senate document procedures told The Hill that a full Senate vote would be required if copies of unredacted documents needed to be transferred to a grand jury.

What do you think?

Are you "encouraged to see signs of an investigation moving forward"? Or is this “part of a widely discredited attempt to end access to reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood”? Hit Take Action, tell your reps, then share your unredacted thoughts below.

— Josh Herman

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