WASHINGTON, D.C., September 17, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) — A tense back-and-forth between pro-life leader Charmaine Yoest and pro-abortion Congressman Joseph Kennedy, D-MA, ended with Yoest saying Planned Parenthood owes the public a response to accusations of illegal fetal harvesting out of “common decency.”
Kennedy, an attorney, asked Yoest if she used the Center for Medical Progress' (CMP) undercover videos as part of her organization's investigation of Planned Parenthood practices. Yoest, who heads Americans United for Life (AUL), said she had, and Kennedy asked if she had verified the authenticity of the videos.
After Yoest affirmed that she had watched the full, unedited versions of CMP's videos, Kennedy and Yoest agreed that approximately 16 investigations are being done by Congress and states around the country. Kennedy asked Yoest how many “out of those, in total of sixteen investigations, have resulted in criminal charges, to date?”
“With all due respect, sir, I think it's still [so] early in the investigation that, as was stated earlier, investigations are still ongoing,” said Yoest. Kennedy then interrupted to say the answer was “zero.”
“You mentioned … the burden of proof should be on Planned Parenthood to try to disprove part of the allegations that” have been made, said Kennedy. “Under what theory of criminal law” is this the case, asked the congressman.
In response, Yoest said, “My assertion would be the proof is on Planned Parenthood to respond to something that is as serious an accusation, with evidence as troubling as what we've seen, to having their senior medical director on tape saying she considers the law to be suggestion.”
“I wasn't asserting a legal theory. I was asserting common decency,” said Yoest.