Friday July 23, 2010
‘Partial Victory for Life’ as Pennsylvania Abortionist Shuts Down Two Clinics
By Peter J. Smith
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, July 23, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Pennsylvania abortionist whose repeated violations of state law prompted the health department to close down his facilities has managed to keep two of them in operation by transferring ownership to another entity; but the other two sites will cease performing abortions for good, reports Operation Rescue.
The pro-life watchdog group says the Pennsylvania Health Department’s order for Dr. Steven Chase Brigham’s clinics represents a “partial victory for life” as Brigham’s facilities in Erie and State College are barred now from performing abortions. They are, however, permitted to remain open for other services.
At the same time, Brigham successfully transferred ownership of his Pittsburgh and Allentown abortion clinics to Rose Health Services, an entity in which he has no controlling interest, in order to stave off their closure. Deputy Secretary of Health Robert Torres has banned Brigham, 53, and any corporation he controls from operating abortion clinics in Pennsylvania, because of his persistent infractions against state medical regulations.
“This is a partial victory for life,” said Troy Newman. “We are thankful that babies are not being killed at the Erie and State College clinics.”
“At the same time we are very disappointed a shady business transfer has kept the other two clinics open. After all the trouble that Brigham has had and continues to face, he is not fit to operate in Pennsylvania or any other state.”
Brigham owns a chain of 15 abortion facilities with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. However the abortionist is licensed only to practice medicine in New Jersey. Brigham let his medical license lapse in Georgia, California, and was suspended permanently in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York.
Brigham was run out of New York after he performed two botched abortions in which state officials found him guilty in 1994 of “gross negligence” and “inexcusably bad judgment” that threatened the lives of his clients. New York also found him guilty of tax evasion in 1995.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Brigham’s offenses have been so egregious that even the National Abortion Federation (NAF) has disavowed him and applauded the PDH decision to shut him down.
Brigham’s latest offense in Pennsylvania happened because he again was employing unlicensed medical staff to work in his abortion clinics.
The Inquirer also reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is knocking on Brigham’s door, and has filed a tax lien against all his clinics for payment of $234,536 in unpaid payroll taxes for the years between 2002-2006.