Florida Drops Complaints Against Abortion Clinics

By GARY FINEOUT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Mar 28, 2016, 6:55 PM ET

Florida health regulators are dropping their push to fine three Planned Parenthood centers, saying such action would be redundant now that the governor has signed a law that puts new restrictions on abortions and prohibits any state money from going to the clinics.

Court documents show the Agency for Health Care Administration last Friday asked an administrative judge to dismiss complaints first filed last year against clinics located in St. Petersburg, Naples and Fort Myers.

The state alleged that the clinics had performed second-trimester abortions that violated their licenses. Planned Parenthood representatives have maintained that abortions were performed during the first trimester and that regulators tried to change the definition to justify an investigation ordered by Gov. Rick Scott.

Scott ordered the inspections of 16 Florida clinics last summer after videos surfaced showing organization officials discussing fetal organ research. State investigators did not find any evidence that Planned Parenthood in Florida purchased or sold human organs or tissue.

Barbara Zdravecky, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said in a statement Monday that the decision to drop the complaints six months later shows the charges were "politically motivated."

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