“Pay it back”
Pro-life watchdog group says Planned Parenthood affiliates in California have racked up millions in profits at taxpayer expense
June 11, 2007
“It is incredible,” said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League, “that Planned Parenthood affiliates in California routinely receive more taxpayer money than they need and put the excess in the bank. It should be required to pay it back.”
Sedlak said that Planned Parenthood's current efforts in California to obtain additional taxpayer funding prompted his organization to do a thorough analysis of Planned Parenthood's finances in the state. Each of California's nine Planned Parenthood affiliates is required by law to file an annual IRS Form 990 with the federal government. These forms are public information and are available online from Guidestar.
“In light of Planned Parenthood's claims of financial hardship,” said Sedlak, “we were shocked to learn that the organization's California affiliates have received more than $270 million in taxpayer money since 1998 and have accumulated a total profit of $83 million over those years.”
During the same time, the total assets reported by the California affiliates increased from $83.7 million in 1998 to $171.2 million today.
“It is clear, that over $80 million in taxpayer funds has been used simply to fatten Planned Parenthood's coffers,” Sedlak said.
“With the current budget situation in California, it is time Planned Parenthood returned this money to the state,” said Sedlak. “If Planned Parenthood claims it would be difficult to return the money all at once, we suggest that it be required to fulfill all its contracts with the state over the next three years without any further payment of taxpayer money. It could fund the operation completely from its past profits and at the end of the three-year period, it would still have $80 million in total assets. It is time to hold Planned Parenthood accountable for its use of taxpayer money.”
