StemExpress cuts ties with Planned Parenthood

In the wake of The Center for Medical Progress’s undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s participation in fetal body parts harvesting (and haggling over sales price), one of the organization’s primary fetal procurement companies has decided to cut ties, reports Politico.

StemExpress has found that its association with the abortion giant has been less than beneficial in the wake of the scandal, Politico explains, also stating that, “[t]he House Energy and Commerce and the Senate Judiciary committees had asked StemExpress to explain its relationship with Planned Parenthood.”

Politico notes the close working relationship between Planned Parenthood and StemExpress:

StemExpress worked inside several Northern California Planned Parenthood clinics. Typically, after a patient told a Planned Parenthood physician that she was going to have an abortion, a StemExpress technician would ask for consent to obtain the fetal tissue. If consent was granted, the technician would then facilitate and process the donation of the tissue for StemExpress….

In July, a court at StemExpress’s request issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Center for Medical Research, the anti-abortion group that made the videos, from releasing any secretly recorded video of the company’s employees. StemExpress lawyers said the group violated California’s anti-wiretapping laws.

In response to the news, Center for Medical Progress released a statement that raised unanswered questions about StemExpress’ relationship with Planned Parenthood:

Does Planned Parenthood abortion doctor Ronald Berman continue to serve as Medical Director of StemExpress? Planned Parenthood and StemExpress should both answer questions about this shady move, and the full details of their “business relationship,” under oath before Congress and the American people.

Buy and/or selling fetal body parts is illegal under federal law and only tissue donation at no-profit is allowed. StemExpress has received scrutiny because of its for-profit status and listing of fetal livers online at prices up to $24,250:

As previously reported by Live Action News, StemExpress lost its bid this week to obtain access to CMP’s undercover videos involving their employees, with the court stating that it is unlikely StemExpress will “prevail on the merits of its claims” against CMP. This may free the videos to be released at a later date.

States have been taking action as well with Arkansas ending their Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood today. This follows Louisiana and Alabama doing the same thing in recent weeks.

In a video released earlier this week, former StemExpress employee Holly O’Donnell discussed how she collected aborted baby parts from Planned Parenthood clinics in California. She says that at times, organs would be procured without the consent of the mother.

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