Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Governor Orders Investigation Of State's Planned Parenthood Facilities

Topher Forhecz/WGCU

Gov. Rick Scott ordered the state to immediately investigate all Florida Planned Parenthood offices that perform abortions on Wednesday.

The order comes after the release of secretly recorded videos. They show Planned Parenthood officials talking about tissue from aborted fetuses used for research.

It’s illegal under federal law to sell fetal tissue for profit. Planned Parenthood officials have denied they make profit off the tissue.

The governor said the videos prompted him to ask the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to investigate the state’s 16 facilities.

“I looked at those videos and said ‘Let’s just make sure everyone in our state is compliant with the law.’ That’s the right thing to do,” he said.

In a statement, Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Laura Goodhue wrote there are no donation programs in Florida. 

She wrote “These political attacks claiming that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation are simply not true.” Goodhue also wrote they will fully cooperate with any investigation.

A representative from the organization declined to do an interview.

Copyright 2015 WGCU

Topher is a reporter at WGCU News.