{"id":1261,"date":"2011-09-29T10:40:29","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T14:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2011-11-29T15:33:00","modified_gmt":"2011-11-29T20:33:00","slug":"jay-sekulow-a-congressional-probe-of-planned-parenthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/09\/jay-sekulow-a-congressional-probe-of-planned-parenthood.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: A Congressional Probe of Planned Parenthood"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>For years, we have been pursuing Planned Parenthood – challenging them in court.<\/p>\n

It is encouraging that Congress is now taking a close look at the nation’s largest abortion provider<\/a>, with an eye toward investigating how Planned Parenthood spends federal taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n

In the House, Rep. Cliff Stearns, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigation subcommittee, has requested information from Planned Parenthood including audits and other information about their financing.<\/p>\n

Federal law prohibits federal funds to be used to pay for abortions, and Rep. Stearns wants to know how Planned Parenthood handles the funds to ensure that abortions aren’t financed with federal taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n

In a letter to Planned Parenthood, Rep. Stearns wrote: “The committee has questions about the policies in place and actions undertaken by PPFA and its affiliates relating to its use of federal funding and its compliance with federal restrictions on the funding of abortion.”<\/p>\n

We’re delighted the Congress wants to take a closer look. After all, Planned Parenthood received more than $363 million dollars from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009 from federal, state or local grants and contracts. That represented about one-third of the organization’s total revenue of more than $ 1 billion during that period.<\/p>\n

Of course, Planned Parenthood claims none of the tax funds it receives go directly toward funding abortions. But the fact is that by receiving such a huge taxpayer windfall, additional funds are freed up for Planned Parenthood to use for abortions.<\/p>\n

This Congressional probe comes as we move forward in our lawsuit challenging Planned Parenthood in a massive fraud case in California<\/a>. As you may recall,\u00a0we achieved a major victory in 2010 when a federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood after a lower court dismissed it.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the issue: an alleged scheme to overbill both federal and state governments to the tune of tens of millions of dollars – all at the expense of taxpayers.<\/p>\n

We represent a whistleblower, the former Chief Financial Officer of PP’s Los Angeles affiliate, who discovered a statewide scheme of PP affiliates dramatically marking up claims for taxpayer reimbursement. The complaint charges PP with bilking the state and federal governments of some $100 million.<\/p>\n

In that case, we have just filed our opposition to Planned Parenthood’s fourth motion to dismiss the case. This week, we filed legal arguments opposing this new motion to dismiss the case describing Planned Parenthood’s arguments as “plainly meritless” and “improper.” In our legal memo filed with the court, we argued: “It is time to advance to discovery and to resolution of this matter.” A hearing on that motion is scheduled for mid-October in federal district court in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

As you can imagine, this type of litigation requires considerable time, effort, and legal expertise, not to mention strategic sophistication. Planned Parenthood has a lot at stake and is not about to roll over. I will keep you updated on this legal battle.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we filed a critical friend-of-the-court brief just last month backing an Indiana law<\/a> that prohibits the distribution of federal funds it receives to organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions. We represent 41 members of Congress and more than 25,000 Americans in this brief which has been filed in a federal appeals court.<\/p>\n

We remain dedicated to defending the life of the unborn. And, I want you to know that our unwavering commitment to challenging Planned Parenthood continues.<\/p>\n

As always, get the latest on this issue and others on our website<\/a> at the Jay Sekulow<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years, we have been pursuing Planned Parenthood – challenging them in court. It is encouraging that Congress is now taking a close look at the nation’s largest abortion provider, with an eye toward investigating how Planned Parenthood spends federal taxpayer funds. In the House, Rep. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1261"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1746,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261\/revisions\/1746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}