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ADF to Colo. governor, legislature: Defund, investigate Planned Parenthood

ADF letter asks for end to taxpayer funding in wake of baby parts scandal

Friday, Jul 31, 2015

Attorney sound bites:  Natalie Decker  |  Michael J. Norton

DENVER – Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter Friday on behalf of Colorado Family Action to Colorado’s governor, speaker of the house, and senate president asking for an investigation of Planned Parenthood and an immediate end to taxpayer funding of the abortion giant (#DefundPP). The letter comes amidst considerable controversy concerning the organization and its Colorado affiliate:
 
  • This week: The Center for Medical Progress released two videos showing Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood Vice President and Medical Director Savita Ginde apparently negotiating the sale of aborted baby parts as a technician picks through them in a Petri dish.
  • Wednesday: ADF filed a complaint with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies on behalf of Colorado Family Action against a Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood abortionist and another employee for their role in not reporting the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl brought to them for an abortion by her abuser. Planned Parenthood performed the abortion without notifying her parents as required by law, and then returned her to the custody of the sexual predator, who continued to sexually molest her.
  • Ongoing: ADF attorneys represent the former executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Norton v. Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, a lawsuit against the affiliate regarding $14 million of taxpayer subsidies it received despite a state constitutional amendment that prohibits the use of state taxpayer dollars to directly or indirectly fund abortions.
 

 
“No one’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars should go to organizations that care more about trafficking in human baby parts than they do about the health and well-being of women,” said ADF Legal Counsel Natalie Decker. “America does not need Planned Parenthood. Only a small fraction of women in America use Planned Parenthood, and they are best served by the numerous community health clinics that care about women and don’t profit from abortions and baby parts.”

“We are asking the governor and the legislature to eliminate all state funding to Planned Parenthood immediately,” said ADF Senior Counsel Michael J. Norton. “The state has already been subsidizing Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood to the tune of $14 million despite a voter-approved constitutional amendment that clearly should have prohibited such funding. We hope that the governor and our legislative leaders will finally put an end to this public subsidization of barbarism.”

“As you perhaps know, in addition to Colorado state taxpayer dollars, Planned Parenthood affiliates, under the umbrella of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, receive over $500 million in federal taxpayer dollars each year,” the ADF letter states. “All the while, Planned Parenthood is under constant suspicion of wrongdoing and illegal activity, including claims of healthcare fraud, failure to report sexual abuse of young girls by adult predators, and opposition to common sense health and safety regulations. What this demonstrates is that Planned Parenthood does not care about women. It cares about money and its bottom-line profits. Not one more penny from Americans paychecks should go to Planned Parenthood at this time.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
 
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