A video just released by the Center for Medical Progress taken undercover in Texas shows a Planned Parenthood research director discussing the sale of whole intact aborted babies to a company that resells them to medical researchers.
David Daleiden, head of Center for Medical Progress, claims this is clear evidence of criminal wrongdoing on the part of Planned Parenthood.
Melissa Farrell, Director of Research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, talks about Texas Planned Parenthood and its track record in delivering intact fetuses in the video. “Where we probably have an edge over other organizations, our organization has been doing research for many many years.” She also explains how they can get a specific part from the fetus, “We bake that into our contract, and our protocol, that we follow this, so we deviate from our standard in order to do that.”
In the video she talks about “diversification of the revenue stream,” a direct contradiction of Planned Parenthood’s repeated denial that they make a profit on selling baby parts. Over lunch, the investigator compliments Farrell on her financial background and that such a background allows Farrell to see the financial benefits in buying and selling fetal body parts. Farrell does not disagree. She does not say Planned Parenthood is not in the business for financial gain. In fact, Farrell nods and agrees and talks about how her department “contributes so much to the bottom line,” saying her research department is the largest of all other similar Planned Parenthood departments combined.
Farrell also talks about how Planned Parenthood doctors alter the abortion procedure to get the best specimen, something that could violate ethical guidelines. She also told the undercover investigators that the Planned Parenthood doctors were doing medical research of their own on fetal body parts.
Daleiden told CNN this morning, “Whenever you are talking about fully intact fetuses in the context of fetal tissue procurement, those are situations where no feticide, no chemical can be used to kill the fetus beforehand because that poisons the organs and tissues and so in that case it is prima facie evidence of born alive infant cases.”
The only legal restriction in the United States related to an abortion procedure is what’s called partial birth abortion, where a baby is maneuvered into the breech (feet first) position, extracted almost entirely from the birth canal, and then killed. Daleiden claims the sale of whole intact fetuses can only be done with that illegal procedure and therefore the new videos show Planned Parenthood breaking federal law.
In the first video released by Daleiden’s group, Dr. Deborah Nucatola discussed how Planned Parenthood doctors get around the law against partial birth abortion. She said, “The Federal [Partial Birth] Abortion Ban is a law, and laws are up to interpretation. So, if I say on day one, I do not intend to do this, what ultimately happens doesn’t matter.” Partial birth abortions are now a felony and punishable by up to 2 years in prison and a fine upwards of $250,000.
This is the fifth video in a series that has engendered a national and even international debate about Planned Parenthood and the sale of baby parts for profit. Planned Parenthood and its primary buyer of baby parts, StemExpress, deny the parts are sold for profit but only for covering reasonable expenses. This morning on CNN Daleiden pointed to an ad placed by StemExpress offering profits to abortion clinics for baby parts. The ad was endorsed by a senior Planned Parenthood doctor.
Though two California courts have placed temporary restraining orders on a few of Daleiden’s videos, his group has many more taken from around the country that they intend to keep releasing. Daleined and his attorney are confident the restraint orders will not stand.
Follow Austin Ruse on Twitter @austinruse
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