by Cheryl Sullenger

Bryan, TX — The director of Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas, has experienced a “spiritual conversion” after watching an abortion on ultrasound, and left her job in the abortion industry last month.

Abby Johnson had a change of heart after watching a pre-born baby “collapse” on the ultrasound screen during an abortion. After that, she just could not continue on the job. She told members of 40 Days for Life that she left her employment on good terms, and was even offered more money to remain with Planned Parenthood.

But now her former employer is taking her to court, seeking a restraining order to keep Ms. Johnson from talking.

The public has already seen a glimmer of what Ms. Johnson knows about the operations of Planned Parenthood. She told Fox News that she was continually pressured to sell more abortions. Costing between $505 and $695, abortions were a big money-maker for Planned Parenthood, which was suffering financially from effects of the recession in that part of Texas.

“I doubt that Planned Parenthood is going to court to stop Ms. Johnson from discussing their marketing strategy,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who has debriefed a number of former abortion clinic employees in recent months that have come forward to tell their stories.

“We have yet to find an abortion clinic that is operating in full compliance with the law,” said Newman. “There is no reason to believe that the Planned Parenthood in Bryan will be the first.

Former employees know the truth

In fact, several criminal investigations have been launched on the word of former abortion workers who have come forward for various reasons, from a change of heart on abortion to a need to relieve their consciences from the guilt of what they experienced in the abortion industry.

A criminal investigation is underway in Nebraska after several former employees of the notorious LeRoy Carhart came forward to pro-life groups and the press to tell of illegal activity and dangerous, filthy conditions at his run-down Bellevue abortion clinic. Three of them submitted signed affidavits detailing incriminating information to Attorney General Jon Bruning. A fourth produced a statement, but suddenly changed her mind about submitting it, raising questions about whether or not she had been intimidated into silence.

“Many of the women that we spoke to were afraid of reprisals from Carhart and his attorneys. We have found that abortionists will go to almost any lengths to hush up the truth about what really goes on behind their clinic doors,” said Newman.

“Patient privacy” arguments misused to conceal illegal conduct

In Kansas, the efforts to maintain secrecy at Planned Parenthood rose to new heights. In a long and often convoluted process that began in 2003, Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri has been fighting to keep authorities from the truth. Finally, on October, 18, 2007, Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline filed a massive 107 count criminal case against Planned Parenthood, alleging that they had committed illegal late-term abortions and “manufactured evidence.”

Two years later, the case remains stalled in the Kansas Supreme Court. A ruling was expected in June, but has yet to be released. Until that ruling is made, the case cannot proceed. Judge Richard Anderson, who maintains custody of records that contain evidence of Planned Parenthood’s alleged criminal conduct remains under a gag order issued to prevent that evidence from ever reaching the trial court.

Meanwhile, former prosecutors are facing ethics charges for their handling of the case in a transparent example of political retribution that is hell-bent on making examples out of anyone who might be inclined to actually enforce the state’s abortion laws.

Across the nation abortion clinics are using concerns over “patient privacy” to prevent evidence of criminal activity being exposed.

“In Kansas, the hysteria over ‘patient privacy’, as the abortion clinics framed it, became a complete absurdity,” said Newman. “A person’s expectation of privacy does not extend to cover criminal acts, yet that is exactly what Planned Parenthood used that argument to do in Kansas. We are hopeful that there will be different results in the State of Nebraska with the Carhart investigation.”

What is the gag order really about?

In Texas, Abby Johnson is scheduled for a court hearing on November 10 to determine if she will be gagged by Planned Parenthood. What else does Ms. Johnson know that they are so afraid will become public? What are they hiding?

“We know it isn’t about patient privacy,” said Newman.

In fact, in Ohio documents recently surfaced concerning a 9-1-1 emergency request for transport at an abortion clinic owned by late-term abortionist Martin Haskell. In those documents, every bit of information about the abortion clinic and what they did to the patient was heavily redacted but the patient’s name address, phone number and date of birth were left unaltered.

In Michigan, abortionist Alberto Hodari was convicted of illegally discarding patient abortion records in a manner that made them available to be accessed by anyone.

In Kansas, one abortion clinic that was fighting the release of abortion records to criminal investigators on patient privacy grounds notified patients on its web site that their names and contact information would be turned over to a local pro-abortion political action committee for fundraising purposes. So much for privacy.

“Privacy concerns for abortionists are really about covering for their own wrong-doing. It has little or nothing to do with concern for the patients,” said Newman.

As long as abortion clinics are allowed to hide behind the skirts of “patient privacy’ in order to cover for their own wrong-doing, women will continue to be injured and otherwise victimized.

“In the meantime, Ms. Johnson would do well to make a sworn statement about what she observed at Planned Parenthood, and file it immediately with the Attorney General and medical oversight board in Texas, before her knowledge is forever silenced,” said Newman.

Topeka, KS – The Kansas State Board of Discipline for Attorneys has indicated that it will soon file an ethics complaint against Phill Kline for his handling of abortion investigations during his tenures as state Attorney General and Johnson County District Attorney. This news comes on the heels of an announcement that an ethics complaint has already been filed against Kline deputy Stephen Maxwell for his part in the investigations into allegations that Planned Parenthood and late-term abortionist George Tiller were violating Kansas laws.

“This is nothing more than a last-ditch effort for Kline’s bitter political enemies to extract the last pound of flesh from him before the next election puts them out of power,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “It also conveniently distracts from the fact that there are still 107 criminal charges pending against Planned Parenthood that were filed by Kline and are being delayed by the Kansas Supreme Court.”

The Supreme Court issued a gag order on Judge Richard Anderson, who oversaw the Kline abortion investigations, preventing him from testifying in the Planned Parenthood case. Anderson had previously testified that he believed that Planned Parenthood had “manufactured evidence.” That gag order essentially froze all progress in that case which is now under the control of District Attorney Steve Howe, a rival of Kline’s who has little motivation to continue the prosecution.

“It is our belief that political corruption in the highest levels of state government continues to protect abortionists, and is now trying to forever discredit and silence those who attempted to do their duty to enforce the laws because those efforts exposed their corruption,” said Newman.

In perhaps the most vicious case of political persecution in Kansas history, Kline was secretly sued numerous times by abortionists and his political enemies in cases that still remain under seal before the state Supreme Court. The full extent of the political persecution against Kline is essentially unknown to this day since Kline is prevented from talking about it. Kline has left Kansas and is currently living in Virginia.

“It is very clear that there will be a shift in power in Kansas during the next election, and the corrupt forces in Kansas will soon be put out of their jobs. These ethics complaints are a kind of ‘scorched earth’ tactic on their part in an attempt to do as much damage as they can to the people they hate before they become powerless,” said Newman.

“The real losers in this are the women who continue to seek abortions at a dangerous clinic where two judges have already determined that there is probable cause that it is breaking the law,” said Newman. “The Kline and Maxwell cases only obfuscate the fact that women’s lives and health continue to be placed at risk by political hacks that never met an abortion they didn’t like.”

Read more.

“Will we live long enough to see Planned Parenthood brought to justice?”

LISTEN TO TROY NEWMAN’S 1-MIN. AUDIO COMMENTARY ON THIS SUBJECT

By Cheryl Sullenger

Overland Park, KS – It is the case the time forgot.

Still languishing somewhere in a Johnson County, Kansas, court file are 107 criminal charges against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, awaiting their fate at the hands of a Kansas Supreme Court that can’t seem to remember why calendars hang on the wall.

It’s funny how one “a” word, abortion, so often inspires another “a” word: amnesia.

Certainly many in the State of Kansas would like to forget this case.

It all started what seems like eons ago when a brassy attorney general decided to do the unthinkable – enforce the state’s abortion laws.

It is doubtful that when former Attorney General Phill Kline began his investigations into Kansas abortion clinics in 2003, he would ever have anticipated how his loyalty to his duty as the state’s chief law enforcement official would affect his own life, much less the state.

In 2004, in the course of his investigation, Kline sought abortion records from the Kansas affiliate of Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics. Judge Richard Anderson granted a search warrant for documents, which Kline turned in for a less invasive subpoena. It was a routine law enforcement request. Medical records are provided to police and prosecutors every day, without redaction or even much question.

However, obtaining these medical records turned into a three-year ordeal before the Kansas Supreme Court that was anything but routine.

In fact, it was extraordinary. There were sealed cases, secret lawsuits, and mandamus actions of the most complex nature as to confound all but the most legally astute.

Finally, the Court begrudgingly ruled that Kline was entitled to the records, but implemented a convoluted and protracted process for third-party redaction of the records. Kline finally was granted possession of the documents on October 24, 2006, just two weeks before he was to stand for re-election in one the most rancorous campaigns in memory, too late for him to complete his investigation or file charges.

Kline had two political opponents that year, Paul Morrison, a pro-abortion Republican who switched party affiliation in order to challenge Kline, and the Kansas media. The impact of the jaw-dropping viciousness with which the media daily castigated Kline for daring to uphold abortion laws is still reverberating through Kansas today, even though Kline is no longer an office holder and has moved a half a continent away. Some politicians now shy away from the abortion issue because they don’t want to get “Klined by the media.”

Kline lost that election to Morrison, who served as the Johnson County District Attorney. With Morrison vacating that office, it fell to the county Republican Party to appoint his replacement. In a hall-of-fame-worthy twist of irony, Kline was appointed to finish Morrison’s term as Johnson County District Attorney.

As it turns out, that is the same county where Planned Parenthood plys their grisly trade. So in an effort to halt Kline’s investigations, the turn of events actually allowed Kline to focus specifically on Planned Parenthood.

Then on October, 18, 2007, Kline filed a massive 107 count criminal case against Planned Parenthood, alleging that they had committed illegal late-term abortions and “manufactured evidence.” (Read the Complaint)

Two months later, Paul Morrison was caught is a shocking sex and abortion corruption scandal and forced to resign. In his place, pro-abortion Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed Steve Six to serve as attorney general.

As the case progressed, Judge Richard Anderson, who oversaw Kline’s investigations both as attorney general and as district attorney, testified at one hearing that he believed that Planned Parenthood committed felonies to cover up for misdemeanors.

Kline subpoenaed Judge Anderson to testify at another hearing, but Six blocked the subpoena with an end-run to the Kansas Supreme Court. Without explanation or citing any law to back up her decision, Chief Justice Kay McFarland issued a gag order on Judge Anderson and ordered that the abortion files in his custody not be produced.

This began another round of secret legal attacks, law suits, and mandamus actions that personally cost Kline a small fortune and threatened his future ability to practice law. Why? Simply because he believed it was his duty to enforce the law — laws that certain powers-that-be wished everyone would forget.

Judge Stephen Tatum indefinitely put a hold on the case pending a decision by the Kansas Supreme Court on matters before them.

Obviously this is only a brief summary of the details and the depth of duplicity involved in this case, which could easily fill a book. (Read a timeline of events.)

Delays in the case eventually outlasted Kline, and he was defeated for election to the District Attorney’s office in November, 2008. He was replaced by Steve Howe, a Morrison operative with a milquetoast record who seems perfectly content to allow the Planned Parenthood case to fade slowly away into the Kansas prairie sunset.

Then, in May of this year, the Court ordered oral arguments and the case was heard that could put the prosecution of those 107 charges back on track. A representative of the court told observers in the gallery to expect a decision by the end of June. Now it is the end of July, with no decision in sight.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Huelskamp and Rep. Lance Kinzer released an audio tape that was part of Operation Rescue’s own investigations into Planned Parenthood wrong-doing. It showed that Planned Parenthood was up to their old tricks, and caught them red-handed ignoring a supposed incident of child sex abuse. (Listen to the call.)

Who knows how many women and children they have victimized while the courts delay action?

“This case can be summarized in three words: delay, delay, delay,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “The question now is ‘Will we live long enough to see Planned Parenthood brought to justice?’”

Good question, for the case that time forgot.