Arizona elected officials called upon to investigate Planned Parenthood

PHOENIX — The Republican Party of Maricopa County is calling upon elected officials to investigate the Planned Parenthood Arizona operation for criminal activity.

Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit provider of reproductive and child health services, is accused of profiting from the illegal sale of fetal tissue and body parts from aborted fetuses.

These allegations stem from a video that surfaced Tuesday showing Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services, discussing the deposition of parts from aborted fetuses.

“Republicans cannot stand idly by while the Democrats allow their Planned Parenthood donors to murder innocent children and then sell off their body parts like commodities for trade,” said Republican Party of Maricopa County Spokesman Jake Hoffman. “It is unacceptable that Planned Parenthood receives millions of dollars in annual federal subsidies, while engaging in such abominable and seemingly illegal conduct.”

Planned Parenthood has responded to the allegations with a statement saying it donates the tissue for scientific research, only receives full reimbursement for its expenses, and gets consent from the patients first.

“We do this just like every other high-quality health care provider does — with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards,” the statement said. “We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.”

Later, Planned Parenthood released another statement bashing the anti-abortion activists who released the undercover video.

“The promotional video mischaracterizing Planned Parenthood’s mission and services is made by a long time anti-abortion activist that has used deceptive and unethical video editing, and that has created a fake medical website as well as a fake human tissue website that purports to provide services to stem cell researchers,” the statement said.

Planned Parenthood accounts for nearly 40 percent of abortions performed in the U.S. each year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.