HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) have urged Attorney General Kathleen Kane to launch an investigation into Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania, according to a letter sent to the attorney general.
The request for an investigation stems from a recent video reportedly showing a national Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of fetal body parts.
Fox News reports a second video, which was unveiled Tuesday, shows Dr. Mary Gatter, who was president of the Planned Parenthood Medical Directors’ Council until 2014 and now works in a leadership and advisory capacity at the local and national level of the organization, discussing with an undercover activist “specimen” prices, eventually settling at $100 for “intact tissue.”
In a previous hidden camera video, Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood of America’s senior director of medical research, said that abortion doctors can adjust their methods to leave organs intact.
The legislative leaders noted that Pennsylvania has, at times, failed to ensure adequate oversight of abortion practices. They cited the case of Philadelphia doctor Kermit Gosnell, an abortion practitioner who was convicted in 2013 on multiple counts of first-degree murder for killing a mother and seven babies who were born alive after unsuccessful abortions. The lawmakers said an inquiry should be initiated to ensure that such failure of oversight is not repeated.
“If these practices are occurring in Pennsylvania, they would be in stark violation of federal and state laws,” said Turzai. “We need to denounce and stop these gruesome practices.”
