Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Great Plains in Columbia, Missouri. It accused the organization of trafficking minors out-of-state to get abortions without parental consent.
This lawsuit claims Planned Parenthood’s Great Plains location is taking minors to Kansas, where abortion services are legal. Bailey sought a court order to block the clinic.
🚨BREAKING: Missouri SUES Planned Parenthood after Veritas Investigation Reveals a Conspiracy to Traffic Minors Across State Lines for #SecretAbortions@AGAndrewBailey: “Today, I'm proud to announce that the state of Missouri is moving forward with a lawsuit to permanently drive… pic.twitter.com/VaegYRtZko
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) February 29, 2024
In a news release Thursday morning, it detailed the lawsuit as the culmination of a multi-year campaign to drive Planned Parenthood from Missouri.
“This is the beginning of the end for Planned Parenthood in the state of Missouri. What they conceal and conspire to do in the dark of night has now been uncovered. I am filing suit to ensure it never happens again,” Bailey said.
“As a father who held my daughter in my arms for a single hour of her life before she died, I know firsthand how important it is to protect life. Our children are the future. It is time to eradicate Planned Parenthood once and for all to end this pattern of despicable, unethical, and illegal behavior,” he continued.
The lawsuit outlined an undercover reporter from Project Veritas took a video while interacting with Planned Parenthood employees.
The video included a man who pretended to have a pregnant 13-year-old niece who needed to get to Kansas for an abortion.
“The surreptitiously recorded video revealed that Planned Parenthood removes minors from school using altered doctor’s notes, transports them into Kansas for abortions, and then quickly returns them, all to avoid parents finding out,” the lawsuit claims.
In Kansas, minor patients seeking abortion services are required by state law to have parental consent or complete a judicial bypass process, in which a Kansas judge issues an order authorizing the minor to receive care.
Saint Louis University law professor Anders Walker weighed in and said moving minors across state lines is trafficking without parental consent.
“Parents can consent though, and we have a right to travel, so if a parent says yes to cross state for an abortion, that is protected by the constitution,” Anders said. “It sounds sensational; we must see if Bailey has any evidence that this is happening.”
This also comes on the heels of the Missouri House giving initial approval on Wednesday for legislation that would stop public funding for facilities providing abortions, which includes Planned Parenthood.
