The backstory, from LifeNews.com, March 12:
Former Planned Parenthood abortion facility director Abby Johnson has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the abortion business claiming its Texas affiliate knowingly sent in about $6 million in false claims to Medicaid and covered up its actions….
The formerly sealed federal “whistleblower” suit… was made public [March 9] and was filed in 2009 by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Johnson….
The suit alleges that Planned Parenthood knowingly committed Medicaid fraud from 2007 to 2009 by improperly seeking reimbursements from the Texas Women’s Health Program for products and services not reimbursable by that program.
Johnson was the third former PP employee to file fraud charges, joining Victor Gonzalez, who filed a complaint against Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in 2008, and Karen Reynolds, who filed a complaint last year against the same affiliate as Johnson, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Since Johnson’s story broke last week, five former Planned Parenthood employees have contacted her to say they realized after reading details of her lawsuit that they, too, may have unknowingly been involved in defrauding the government.
These were lower level staffers who merely followed instructions when completing paperwork. One worked at a PP in California, and the other four worked in new states other than California or Texas.
When we spoke by phone yesterday, Johnson told me she put the former employees in touch with ADF for follow-up.
The growing body of evidence should help fuel the ongoing congressional investigation of Planned Parenthood as well as aid officials in various states in knowing what to look for when reevaluating past years’ Planned Parenthood invoices. While PP affiliates allegedly involved in fraud my stop, they cannot retract paperwork already submitted for which they have been paid and for which they are liable.
Planned Parenthood employees may be personally liable
Along with the affiliate and parent organization, PP employees involved in committing fraud may also be personally liable, depending on the level of fraud committed and how much requisite knowledge they had.
I spoke with ADF attorney Mike Norton today about personal liability.
“Current or former employees who have information about potential fraud should speak with an attorney for guidance,” said Norton. “I would be happy to talk to anyone who thinks they have knowledge about fraud committed by Planned Parenthood. I want to make sure they are protected as whistleblowers and help reveal the crime rather than become a bullseye of the investigation.”
Contact Norton at 480-388-8163.
Reprinted with permission from JillStanek.com