By: Brian Sikma

UPDATE: The text of Representative Walorski’s letter to the Attorney General and FSSA Secretary and the Indiana Right to Life Press release just issued on this story are below the fold.

Roughly two weeks ago it was revealed that the Planned Parenthood of Bloomington, Indiana clinic was helping cover up a potential case of statutory rape and was advising a minor girl to skirt Indiana’s parental consent law by going to Illinois to obtain an abortion. These revelations came after an undercover investigative student journalist posed as a 13 year-old girl who was seeking an abortion after becoming pregnant by a 31 year-old man.

Today we learn that the disregard for the law so flagrantly displayed at the Bloomington clinic is also standard practice for an Indianapolis Planned Parenthood clinic. The same student journalist project that is responsible for alerting us to the Bloomington outrage is responsible for this new video in which not one, but two Planned Parenthood employees exhibit a strong disregard for state law.

Here’s the video:

These two incidents have prompted State Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Jimtown) to call for the investigation of Planned Parenthood by the Indiana Attorney General’s office and for the immediate de-funding of Planned Parenthood by FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob, who has the authority to suspend Medicare payments to Planned Parenthood while an investigation is prepared and launched. Walorski has also urged Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, who has strong pro-life leanings, to investigate this latest incident since it falls in his jurisdiction. So far Monroe County Prosecutor Chris Gaal has failed to investigate the Bloomington Planned Parenthood.

(Read more below the fold)

On her blog Walorski stated: “Last week I asked Attorney General Steve Carter for a full investigation of this agency. Today, I am asking Carter and FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob to suspend Indiana Planned Parenthood’s funding until a complete investigation into Medicaid fraud can be completed. If this agency isn’t complying with State laws and yet receiving millions of tax dollars, there should be an investigation.”

Walorski is not alone in her calls for action. State Senator Greg Walker (R-Columbus) said after the Bloomington scandal broke “Planned Parenthood has received over 3.9 billion in tax dollars since 1987. This tax money must be used with the consent of the American people. As a recipient of money held in public trust, they have violated that trust by not standing for the protection of young girls from sexual predators. Our government leaders should rise in unison to deny federal and state dollars to any organization that destroys human life, and fails its mission to protect the sexual health and well being of young women.”

Walorski and Walker are right. Planned Parenthood of Indiana should receive no more funds either from the state or through the state (as in the case of federal dollars allocated through state agencies) until a full investigation can be had. Even if the evidence that has come to light over the past few weeks, and has been sufficient to indict Planned Parenthood of Indiana in the national public eye, is insufficient for a full criminal conviction, state funding to this morally unacceptable organization should cease. The people of the state of Indiana should not be required to support an organization that is a leading contributor to the 11,000 plus abortions that take place in this state every year.

Click here to send an e-mail to Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob asking him to suspend the flow of state money to Planned Parenthood.

UPDATE

Below is Representative Walorski’s letter to the Attorney General and the FSSA Secretary calling for action from their agencies and departments on this issue.

The Honorable Steve Carter
Attorney General
Second Floor Statehouse
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Secretary Mitch Roob
Family and Social Services Administration
Indiana Government Center South, Room W461
402 W Washington St
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Attorney General Carter and Secretary Mitch Roob,

With the release of another undercover videotape “sting”, I am writing to ask for a full investigation into potential Medicaid fraud involving Planned Parenthood of Indiana. In addition, I am requesting that the State of Indiana immediately cease all Medicaid reimbursement payments to this agency until a full investigation has been completed and they have been found in compliance with Indiana State laws. I believe these new allegations of, yet another cover-up indicates completely inappropriate conduct on the part of this agency.

As you now know, other Planned Parenthood employees have been caught on tape violating state laws involving minors. I believe this most recent video, released nationwide last night, shows the same kind of egregious disregard for our laws. This incident shows a pattern of contempt for Indiana law and indicates that the incident at Bloomington was not isolated to that clinic.

Due to the severity of this situation, I am requesting that you suspend all funding and freeze all appropriations set aside for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and its clinics. It is unacceptable for this pattern of behavior to be happening at two different Planned Parenthood clinics, in different parts of the State; therefore, I believe we must look out for the safety of Hoosier minors in this State and proceed with the full investigation of Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

Once again, thank you for your consideration. If you have any additional questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,

Jackie Walorski
State Representative

Here is the Indiana Right to Life Press Release on this story.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Undercover video filmed at Planned Parenthood’s Indianapolis abortion clinic released early today; prompts state legislator to seek Medicaid fraud investigation, suspension of taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood

Indiana -December 16, 2008 An undercover video filmed at a Planned Parenthood of Indiana clinic in Indianapolis is raising new concerns that child sexual abuse is not being properly reported, prompting Indiana State Representative Jackie Walorski to call for a full investigation by Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter. In addition, Walorski is calling on FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob to immediately seize all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood of Indiana pending the outcome of the investigation. According to the video’s producers, the video was filmed at Planned Parenthood of Indiana’s 86^th and Georgetown Road clinic in Indianapolis on the same day that a previously-released undercover video was filmed at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bloomington.

In a letter sent today to Carter & Roob, Walorski writes “I am writing you to request a full investigation of potential Medicaid fraud involving Planned Parenthood clinics across Indiana. I believe the recent events have brought us to the point of the need for a statewide investigation.

“As you know, additional Planned Parenthood employees have been caught on tape violating State law. I believe this most recent video, aired nationally last night, shows the same kind of egregious disregard for our laws that protect minors. This incident shows a pattern of contempt for Indiana law and indicates that the incident at Bloomington was not isolated to that clinic.

“Due to the severity of this situation, I am requesting that you suspend all funding and freeze all appropriations set aside for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and its clinics. For this pattern of behavior to be happening at two different Planned Parenthood locations, in different parts of the State, I believe we must look out for the safety of Hoosier minors in this State. I also believe it is time to stop contributing Hoosier tax dollars to Planned Parenthood. Virginia and New Hampshire each exercised this option, while Planned Parenthood was being investigated in their respective states.”

Walorski’s actions come in the wake of a new video released earlier today on http://www.liveactionfilms.org in which a counselor at Planned Parenthood of Indiana’s abortion clinic on the Northwest side of Indianapolis tells a female claiming to be 13-years-old and pregnant, “I don’t care how old he [the father] is” and that “surrounding states do not have parental consent.”

Indiana Right to Life is coupling Walorski’s call with its own appeal to Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi to immediately launch an investigation into Marion County Planned Parenthood offices to determine if child sexual abuse is being reported as required by Indiana law.

Today’s video release comes less than two weeks after a video surfaced of a Planned Parenthood counselor in Bloomington advising a female claiming to be 13 years-old and pregnant on how to avoid mandatory child sexual abuse reporting.

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