OR Offers Deep Analysis of Bombshell Article from NYT

By Sarah Neely

New York, New York — The New York Times recently published a shocking exposé on the inner workings of a crumbling Planned Parenthood — the whole organization, not just its struggling affiliates. 

“Planned Parenthood falling apart isn’t the shocking part,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “Operation Rescue has been reporting on the abortion giant’s dangerous incompetence and massive waste of taxpayer money for years. What’s shocking is the New York Times, a typically pro-abortion journal, so thoroughly outing America’s ‘golden child’ of abortion. When even the pro-abortion publications are willing to expose you, then you know things are bad. Planned Parenthood seems to be rapidly losing its shine in the public eye.” 

The NYT article cites everything from lawsuits to internal documents, and claims to have interviewed “more than 50 current and former Planned Parenthood executives, consultants and medical staff members” — few of which had anything positive to say about the abortion giant. 

Much of what is reported in this article lines up with the investigations Operation Rescue has steadily carried out while exposing devastating wrongdoing at Planned Parenthood’s abortion clinics. 

“Botched abortions and undertrained staff are the norm for Planned Parenthood,” Newman adds. “We’ve listened to countless 911 calls and poured over thousands of public documents that tell us what the New York Times is just now realizing — Planned Parenthood is a train wreck, and other people — their employees, patients, and, above all, babies in the womb — are paying the price.”

Below are some major takeaways from NYT’s recent exposé, along with unique insights from Operation Rescue’s growing body of evidence against the abortion giant. 

MASSIVE MISUSE OF DONATIONS FOR POLITICAL GAIN  

Planned Parenthood has long argued that it does “more than abortion.” However, according to the NYT, nearly all of its money goes to expanding and protecting this singular “service” while everything else gets neglected. 

According to the article, Planned Parenthood received $498 million in donations after Roe was overturned. Nearly all of that lump sum went towards “the legal and political fight to maintain abortion rights” — not healthcare.  

Planned Parenthood’s national office also apparently dispersed over $899 million among its affiliates over the last five years, but the NYT states “none of it went directly to medical services.”

“Planned Parenthood does not care about women or their healthcare,” said Newman. “Its only goal is to protect and expand abortion.”

True to that horrific mission, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund also put $40 million into securing pro-abortion candidates last year, according to the article. 

Former and current employees confirmed Planned Parenthood’s abortion-priority throughout the entire exposé. 

One training and development specialist who recently resigned from Planned Parenthood told the NYT that clinics were often “begging for supplies” and getting denied because higher-ups said “they just can’t afford it.”

Across the nation, Planned Parenthood clinics have only reduced other services. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York closed four clinics, and Planned Parenthood of Northern California cut a “prenatal care program” to save money.  

Meanwhile, according to the nonprofit’s most recent Form 990, Planned Parenthood’s President and Chief Executive, Alexis McGill Johnson, enjoyed a six figure salary in 2022, bringing home over $900,000 while the clinics she oversees can’t even keep over-the-counter pain medications in stock. 

Medicaid, of course, is what Planned Parenthood depends on to keep their abortion mills going day-to-day, but that golden goose is also failing. Besides being found guilty for millions in Medicaid fraud over the years, several states have also moved to deny Planned Parenthood such easy funding. On a federal level, President Trump has also made it clear that he has no qualms about defunding the organization.

“Taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for America’s abortion giant,” added Newman. “Right now, Planned Parenthood can redirect millions in donations to political gain and influence because our tax dollars are funding their shoddy clinics. It’s time to make Planned Parenthood pay its own way. America is not required to keep supporting this pampered and privileged group of abortion peddlers.” 

TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS, UNTRAINED STAFF

Operation Rescue has reported numerous times about Planned Parenthood’s failings as an employer and its proclivity towards untrained, unlicensed staff. It’s no surprise that the NYT found the same. 

According to the article, employees described terrible work conditions, some resorting to lawsuits to collect reparations from Planned Parenthood. Complaints included:

  • Abysmally low salaries; employees reported qualifying for Medicaid and food stamps due to lack of pay;
  • Denied payment for overtime;
  • Employees pushed out for requesting maternity leave;
  • Employees fired for questioning clinic practices or pointing out discrimination;
  • “Chaotic” and “toxic” work culture;
  • Pressure to increase the volume of patients by rushing appointments, resulting in mistakes like administering the wrong drugs or prepping patients for the wrong procedure;
  • Inadequate training by inexperienced peers. 

Alarmingly, the NYT reported that in at least eight states Planned Parenthood medical assistants were required to draw blood and check vital signs.

Medical assistants have no medical training. They are not nurses. Yet some reported practicing blood draws on a fake arm for barely an hour, and maybe a few times on a colleague, before performing blood draws on patients. 

“We see so many 911 calls for botched abortions,” said Newman. “A large majority are for severe bleeding. Imagine hemorrhaging due to a complication, and the person sitting beside you taking your blood pressure — to find out if you’re bleeding out internally — had an hour of practice and no type of medical training. Planned Parenthood’s use of unlicensed, unqualified employees is unconscionable. Every clinic in those eight states should be shut down immediately until they can prove their staff are properly licensed and trained.” 

Operation Rescue will be following up with complaints in any state where Planned Parenthood’s reported illegal practices are putting patients in danger. 

SUPPOSED “BRIGHT SPOTS” ARE A MIRAGE

Among all the well deserved fault-finding, the NYT still tried to offer what it called some “bright spots” in Planned Parenthood’s failing situation. However, Operation Rescue knows those “bright spots” are just a mirage.

The article highlighted Planned Parenthood’s recent opening of a large, “state-of-the-art”  abortion facility in Carbondale, Illinois. Less than six months after that facility opened, a 23-year-old woman was rushed the hospital when her uterus was perforated during an abortion.

Illinois is also one of the eight states the NYT listed as using medical assistants to draw blood and check vitals with no medical training. 

The NYT also mentioned that “clinics in Southern New England kept wait times low.” However, Operation Rescue’s 2024 Annual Survey found that the average national wait time for an abortion fell by 45% in 2024, the lowest wait time ever recorded since Operation Rescue began the survey in 2017. Essentially, all wait times were lower, making this “bright spot” far less impressive. 

Finally, the article mentioned an Ohio abortion clinic that made “substantial upgrades.” 

“As the new, ‘state-of-the-art’ Planned Parenthood in Illinois has already proven, you can have the nicest building in the world,” Newman adds, “but if Planned Parenthood is still running it then we know women are going to be injured, children will be killed, and state laws will be ignored. That’s the kind of ‘healthcare’ Planned Parenthood offers across America. The bloody kind.” 

PATIENTS ALWAYS PAY THE PRICE 

The exposé opened with a horrific story of a woman named Nakara, who went to Planned Parenthood in Albany, New York, for an abortion when she was 8 weeks pregnant. In the weeks following she experienced bleeding and painful cramps. A second pregnancy test came back positive, but Planned Parenthood ignored her symptoms and the test, telling Nakara they “had seen the aborted fetus” and all was well. 

Finally, she went to the emergency room and found out that Planned Parenthood lied — they couldn’t have seen the aborted baby because her baby was still in her uterus. Twelve weeks after the abortion, Nakara delivered her child, who lived only briefly.

“This is not the exception for Planned Parenthood. Like every other abortion clinic in America,” Newman said, “this is the norm. These killers take a woman’s money, then leave her to deal with any consequences. And they never apologize, not even when a woman dies. It’s a heartless, dangerous industry.”

The NYT reported several other horror stories women suffered at the hands of Planned Parenthood: In Nebraska, a woman that Planned Parenthood failed to notice was four months pregnant had an IUD placed. She gave birth to a stillborn child just hours after. In Arizona, another woman had an IUD placed, told by Planned Parenthood “it would be rough, and just ride it out.” After months of pain and bleeding, another doctor confirmed Planned Parenthood botched the placement. According to a complaint obtained by NYT, that Planned Parenthood kept billing the girl even after she had paid the balance. 

“Planned Parenthood demonstrates, again and again, a total lack of care for the patients unfortunate enough to walk in their doors,” added Newman. “They are incompetent because they are indifferent. Their clinics are just a facade propped up on Medicaid so Planned Parenthood executives can rake in millions of dollars in donations, pay themselves six figures, then use the rest to further political power all in the name of their ‘sacred cow,’ abortion. Abortion, not women, is the only thing Planned Parenthood serves.” 

This report may be republished with inclusion of the following acknowledgement: “This article was originally published by Operation Rescue, a leading pro-life, Christian activist organization dedicated to exposing abortion abuses, demanding enforcement, saving innocent lives, and building an abortion-free America. The author, Sarah Neely, is Project Coordinator for Operation Rescue.”