Komen Gave Planned Parenthood Abortion Businesses Over $700K Last Year

LifeNews.com April 9, 2008 Steven Ertelt

Posted on LifeNews.com Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:54:49 AM by rhema

A new report from a Planned Parenthood watchdog finds chapters of the Komen Race for the Cure breast cancer group gave affiliates of the national abortion business over $700,000 last fiscal year. The enormous amount should be a red flag to pro-life advocates, one leading activist says.

Figures from STOPP International show Komen chapters giving $711,485 from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 to Planned Parenthood affiliates.

Jim Sedlak, a representative of the watchdog group says the numbers are concerning given than millions of pro-life Americans will participate in Komen events during the month.

"More and more people are speaking up about the fact that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer research foundation, supports Planned Parenthood," Sedlak told LifeNews.com on Wednesday.

He pointed to studies showing abortion increases a woman's chances of contracting breast cancer and said that makes the donations extremely questionable.

"The fact that Komen Affiliates give money to Planned Parenthood contradicts Komen’s claim that it works to end breast cancer," Sedlak said. "This is ridiculous and must stop."

Sedlak urged pro-life advocates to disassociate themselves with any Komen events until the organization's affiliates stop giving money to the abortion business.

He also urged pro-life people to make Planned Parenthood's pro-abortion mission clear to Komen officials and event participants.

He called Planned Parenthood "an organization that kills babies, exploits women, corrupts youth and increases the likelihood of breast cancer by promoting contraception and abortion."

The amount of the grants from Komen affiliates to Planned Parenthood appears to be on the rise and 25 Komen affiliates now have a partnership with the abortion business.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure spokeswoman Rebecca Gibson previously confirmed hat 19 of the 122 Komen affiliates made grants totaling $374,253 to Planned Parenthood during the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

Komen officials have dismissed the grants saying they are for breast cancer screenings, but pro-life advocates say the money is fungible and that it frees up funds Planned Parenthood could use for breast screenings but instead uses on abortions.

The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette has asked parishioners there to refrain from participating the march and, last month, the St. Louis Archdiocese asked people to boycott the event.

In November 2006, the Phoenix, Arizona diocese asked parishioners to tell Komen to stop giving money to Planned Parenthood.

"Some will argue the grant is earmarked for areas other than abortion or contraception, so the affiliation between the organizations is inconsequential," Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted said of the Komen grants to Planned Parenthood.

"But the sad reality is that the grant money now frees up Planned Parenthood funds for those other areas opposing life and counter to our Catholic faith," he explained.

The Komen grants to Planned Parenthood prompted medical research analyst and Hispanic outreach director Eve Sanchez Silver to resign from her leadership position within Komen.

Silver eventually had a meeting with Komen officials about their grants and abortion's link with breast cancer.

"SGK officials did not appear to have knowledge of simple breast facts," Silver said in a statement LifeNews.com received.

Silver explained that the breast is an organ that is not mature at birth and SGK officials appeared to be surprised to learn that the breast does not become fully mature until after 32 weeks of pregnancy.

As a result of that state of development, interruption of pregnancy via an abortion before 32 weeks leaves breast cells exposed to estrogen, which is highly carcinogenic.

She indicated the Komen representatives also appeared to be "more concerned about assisting women after they had contracted breast cancer, than informing them to avoid breast cancer risk by avoiding abortions and having [an] early, full term pregnancy."

"This is an appalling lack of concern for the women the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is supposed to be helping," Silver added.

Donations during the 2006-2007 fiscal year from Komen affiliates to Planned Parenthood abortion businesses include:

PP of Texas Capital Region received $62,886 from the Austin Komen Affiliate.

PP of Idaho received $15,000 from the Boise Komen Affiliate.

PP Association of the Mercer Area received $20,000 from the Central and South Jersey Komen Affiliate.

PP of Albuquerque received $30,000 from the Central New Mexico Komen Affiliate.

PP of Sandoval received $15,000 from the Central New Mexico Komen Affiliate.

PP of New Mexico received $60,000 from the Central New Mexico Komen Affiliate.

PP of Northern New York received $2,000 from the Central New York Komen Affiliate.

PP of Central Texas received $45,000 from the Central Texas Komen Affiliate.

PP of the Rocky Mountains received $7,163 from the Denver Metropolitan Komen Affiliate.

PP in El Paso received $5,410 from the El Paso Komen Affiliate.

PP in Grand Rapids received $14,661 from the Grand Rapids Komen Affiliate.

PP in Greater Amarillo received $11,500 from the Greater Amarillo Komen Affiliate.

PP of Nassau County received $75,000 from the Greater New York City Komen Affiliate.

PP in Madison received $30,000 from the Madison Komen Affiliate.

PP of Wisconsin received $42,077 from the Milwaukee Komen Affiliate.

PP in Milwaukee received $13,143 from the Milwaukee Komen Affiliate.

PP in Triangle received -$317 from the North Carolina Triangle Komen Affiliate.

PP Health Systems received $21,000 from the North Carolina Triangle Komen Affiliate.

PP in North Texas received $32,400 from the North Texas Komen Affiliate.

PP of Orange and San Bernardino Counties received $90,805 from the Orange County Komen Affiliate.

PP of Delaware received $39,987 from the Philadelphia Komen Affiliate.

PP in Phoenix received $24,850 from the Phoenix Komen Affiliate.

PP of Western Washington received $750 from the Puget Sound Komen Affiliate.

PP of San Antonio received $31,496 from the San Antonio Komen Affiliate.

PP of West Palm Beach, Florida received $36,000 from the South Florida Komen Affiliate.