The Democratic attorney general has found no evidence suggesting Planned Parenthood sold fetal body parts in Missouri.
Chris Koster, the sole Democratic candidate for governor in 2016, launched an investigation into the organization after controversial videos were released in July alleging the organization sold fetal body parts. The Missouri Senate also is investigating. Planned Parenthood has vehemently denied these allegations.
The St. Louis Planned Parenthood is the only facility performing surgical abortions in the state. Koster's office interviewed numerous facility representatives as well as reviewed documents tracing it's process for disposing of fetal tissue for 317 abortions performed in June 2015.
Once the procedure is performed, Koster's office found that the tissue is placed in a leakproof container and taken to Pathology Services Inc., a Brentwood-based lab contracted by the facility to conduct the examinations.
Under Missouri law, a pathology report has to be done for each abortion, which is then sent to the Department of Health and Senior Services. The Senate's investigation revealed that department officials didn't know they hadn't been receiving those reports for unknown amount of time.
Additionally, department Director Gail Vasterling previously told the Senate Interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life she did not know what happened to the tissue following the examination.
Koster's office looked into that as well, determining that once the lab is done with the examination, a waste disposal company collects the tissue and destroys it in an incinerator. This was determined by looking at invoices from the lab charging Planned Parenthood for the work and certification from the waste disposal company that the tissue was destroyed.
“The evidence reviewed by my investigators supports Planned Parenthood’s representation that fetal tissue is handled in accordance with Missouri law,” Koster said. “We have discovered no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis facility is selling fetal tissue."
