In a so-called “sting” video professional hit artist Lila Rose claims to have uncovered evidence of systemic corruption within Planned Parenthood to cover up “child sex trafficking.” Not only do Planned Parenthoods recent actions flatly contradict that claim -- so does the content of the video itself.
In fact, even if we were to assume that Rose's heavily edited smear job is accurate - and there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical - the video very clearly establishes that the alleged wrongdoing is counter to Planned Parenthood policy: the employee on Rose's tape makes it clear that the actions in question would have to be concealed from others at the organization.
Even before Rose released the edited tapes, Planned Parenthood had already reported the “potential sex trafficking” to law enforcement officials.
In the video released today, Amy Woodruff, the office manager at the Planned Parenthood in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, talks to two Live Action employees who were apparently disguised as a pimp and a prostitute. Here she is counseling them on Planned Parenthood's legal obligation to report possible statutory rape cases (2:24 in the video):
WOODRUFF: The only that you do have to be careful is if they are a minor we are obligated if we hear any certain information--
PIMP: Okay, okay.
WOODRUFF: --to kind of report. So, the first thing with that is-- One, if they do speak English or even Spanish-- It doesn't matter what they speak.
PIMP: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
WOODRUFF: It doesn't matter what they speak. If we're gonna have to have it translated they just have to be aware that they have to be careful with-- You know, I'm not kind of like leading in-- I don't wanna get anybody in trouble. It's just, um--
PIMP: So, how would you -- I know, that's fine. How would you recommend, like-- 'Cause you want to get them help, so--
WOODRUFF: Exactly. We want them to get the help-- Exactly. But so mainly, like, on the paperwork there's gonna be a point that asks, um, you know, like, “Are you sexually active.” Stuff like that.
PIMP: Yeah, yeah.
WOODRUFF: If they're under a certain age, we're kind of-- You know, me and my other counselor, like, for the most part we want as little information as possible--
At this point the video skips to repeat the phrase, “we want as little information as possible.” But look at what Woodruff says immediately afterwards:
WOODRUFF: You know, me and my other counselor, like, for the most part we want as little information as possible, 'cause [inaudible]. You know, excuse my words.
PIMP: I feel it. Appreciate it. Appreciate that.
WOODRUFF: Once we get-- Once we get to the nurse practitioner, she's a little bit more anal, so she likes to kind of-- [digging gesture]
PIMP: Dig, ah. Okay, okay.
WOODRUFF: --dig a little bit more. So, “How old is your partner?” You know, that kind of stuff.
Rose makes no effort to explain why it would be necessary to conceal this conduct from the nurse practitioner - a Planned Parenthood employee -- if Planned Parenthood was engaged in an organizational effort to condone that very conduct by looking the other way.
Later in the video (around 8:50) Woodruff again slammed the nurse practitioner:
WOODRUFF: So the whole thing is, like, with me we already know. I see you. We already know we're gonna kind of alter the story and kinda see what we can do to kinda tweak information.
PROSTITUTE: Yeah.
WOODRUFF: So and if there's ever anything when they're filling out the paper that you're questionable-- For the most part we kind of harass you at the front desk-- “You left this blank, you left this blank.” You just be like, “Oh, well I wanna wait until I talk to the nurse.” And that's fine. Because you just say, “I don't understand,” you know.
PROSTITUTE: Yeah.
WOODRUFF: The nurse practitioner-- She's a very good woman clinically.
PIMP: Yeah.
WOODRUFF: Between the three of us, because we're already cool, she's a [CENSORED]. We hate her.
So both the nurse practitioner and the people at the front desk would single out “questionable information” that the “pimp” and “prostitute” might want to conceal. Not only does that not sound like systemic corruption, it completely contradicts the allegation that Planned Parenthood is a corrupt enterprise.
And curiously, right after Woodruff says, “We hate her,” there's a sudden cut in the video. The time stamp shows that there's a gap of about two minutes, and when we come back, Woodruff's in the middle of a sentence. Here she is right after the cut, at 9:25:
WOODRUFF: --but that's why you come and ask for me only.
PROSTITUTE: Okay.
WOODRUFF: Karin is my right hand. She's the one that was at the desk that you spoke to with the dark hair.
PIMP: Karin. Okay.
PROSTITUTE: Mhm. Okay.
WOODRUFF: You know that, but, if I'm not available, you just say, “Hey, listen, I know Amy. You know, just have her give me a call back.” You know, she's--
PIMP: Okay, yeah. Karin seemed cool. Yeah, she seemed cool.
WOODRUFF: Yeah, she's-- She's my partner in crime, and we try to do the best that we can.
We won't know what happened in those two minutes until LiveAction releases the transcript. Moreover, note what happens when the two undercover LiveAction employees ask about abortion services (at 4:18):
WOODRUFF: If they come in for pregnancy test, um -- [CENSORED] -- at that point I'd still be-- you'd still be-- You never got this from me. Just to make all of our lives easier.
[Reaches into desk and produces document.]
PIMP: Okay.
WOODRUFF: If they're fourteen and under, just send 'em right there if they need an abortion. Okay?
PIMP: This is the spot, okay.
PROSTITUE: Will they ask questions or anything? Will they need ID or something?
WOODRUFF: They won't-- They won't need ID then, they're gonna be a little bit more different, but their protocols aren't as strict as ours and they don't get audited the same way that we do.PIMP: Okay. Take 'em to the Metropolitan Medical Association.
Got that? Planned Parenthood is too scrupulous for anyone else in the office to be let in on the “cover-up,” and when it comes to abortion, the “pimp” and “prostitute” are advised to go to another facility entirely to avoid the diligence of Planned Parenthood.
UPDATE: Live Action has subsequently released what they say is the full version of the video.