Senators grill DOJ over investigation of Planned Parenthood

(Image courtesy Pixabay)

Two senators have written to the Justice Department asking for the results of an investigation into several Planned Parenthood branches that were cited in criminal referrals following an undercover video probe of their trade in the body parts of unborn babies.

The referrals came from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2016 following the revelations in the probe by David Daleiden and his Center for Medical Progress.

He videoed executives of Planned Parenthood and other abortion industry players discussing their profits from the sale of body parts. One abortionist famously insisted on higher pay for parts because, "I want a Lamborghini."

The referrals apparently went nowhere under the Barack Obama administration and its pro-abortion agenda. Back then, Loretta Lynch was attorney general and James Comey was director of the FBI.

Under the pro-life administration of President Trump, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Grassley, the former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked the DOJ to respond.

In a letter Tuesday to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, they point out that on Dec. 13, 2016, criminal referrals were forwarded for investigation of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, Planned Parenthood Northern California, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, StemExpress, Advanced Bioscience Resources and Novogenix.

The referrals were based on a committee staff report that "found evidence suggesting that the buying or selling of human fetal tissue may have occurred, as demonstrated by billing records and procurement logs provided by the named organizations to the committee."

"Additionally, the investigation uncovered facts that raise a reasonable suspicion that The Planned Parenthood Federation of America may have conspired with its affiliates to violate the fetal tissue law."

The FBI confirmed to the senators in 2017 that it received the referrals, but since then there's been no word.

"Preventing the illegal sale of human fetal tissue remains a priority for the committee," the letter said.

It asks the FBI to confirm by July 2 whether or not it has taken any action on the referrals.

"If the FBI has not taken action, please explain the justification," the senators said.

Many of the abortion providers organizations also were cited in a referral at the same time from the U.S. House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.

Grassley said at the time that his committee had reviewed more than 20,000 pages of evidence.

The senator said he didn't take lightly making a criminal referral.

"But, the seeming disregard for the law by these entities has been fueled by decades of utter failure by the Justice Department to enforce it. And, unless there is a renewed commitment by everyone involved against commercializing the trade in aborted fetal body parts for profit, then the problem is likely to continue," he said.

His report noted evidence showed the three companies bought aborted baby bodies from Planned Parenthood and "then sold the fetal tissue to their respective customers at substantially higher prices than their documented costs."

Regarding the Planned Parenthood branches, the Senate allegations said: "The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) initially had a policy in place to ensure its affiliates were complying with the law, but the affiliates failed to follow its fetal tissue reimbursement policy. When PPFA learned in 2011 of this situation, PPFA cancelled the policy rather than exercise oversight to bring the affiliates back into compliance. Thus, PPFA not only turned a blind eye to the affiliates’ violations of its fetal tissue policy, but also altered its own oversight procedures enabling those affiliates’ practices to continue unimpeded."

Here are two of the videos released by CMP: