The Ohio attorney general’s office said Friday that an investigation has found that either Planned Parenthood or companies with which it contracts in the state have disposed of aborted fetal parts in a landfill.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, a Republican, also said the investigation did not turn up any evidence that the women’s health organization is selling fetal tissue, an allegation that was the subject of a heated political debate in recent months.
“Disposing of aborted fetuses from an abortion by sending them to a landfill is callous and completely inhumane,” DeWine said in a statement. “It is important the public be aware that these practices are taking place at these Ohio facilities.”
Planned Parenthood, which has repeatedly denied that it sells the parts of aborted fetuses, criticized DeWine’s findings.
“As we have always maintained, and as the Attorney General has now confirmed, the original accusations that Planned Parenthood ‘sold fetal tissue’ were completely unfounded and untrue,” said Stephanie Kight, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.
“These new allegations by the Attorney General that we are improperly disposing of fetal tissue are flat-out false. Planned Parenthood handles medical tissue like any other quality health care provider. Our agreements with vendors all require them to follow state law, and dispose of tissue accordingly. If they are not, then I will take swift action.”
According to the Attorney General’s office, the three Planned Parenthood offices that perform abortions in the state contract with Stericycle, a medical and pharmaceutical waste management company, and Accu Medical Waste, a medical waste management disposal company.
Stericycle did not return CNN’s calls. And a person answering the phone at Accu Medical Waste hung up on a CNN reporter.
Secretly-recorded videos made by a conservative anti-abortion group that were released over the summer have led to multiple congressional and state investigations into Planned Parenthood, and they’ve been been a hot topic on the presidential campaign.
“In Ohio, John Kasich and his administration have proven they will do anything to ban access to safe and legal abortion,” Kight added.