AURORA, ILLINOIS, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com)--In a desperate move to circumvent local laws, Planned Parenthood filed an emergency injunction petition yesterday in Federal court to allow its new clinic in Aurora, Illinois to open.The city government is reviewing Planned Parenthood's permit filing based on accusations that the real purpose of the "health center" was hidden from city officials: to provide abortions. The original filing, on March 22, 2007, stated that the occupant would be the "Gemini Health Center", using a name for a front company owned by the Chicago area Planned Parenthood. City officials allegedly had no knowledge of the true purpose of the facility until after the approval of a temporary permit.
Planned Parenthood claims in its petition that the "revocation of a temporary operating permit is motivated solely by political opposition to the constitutionally protected right to abortion services."
"The City of Aurora's fig leaf argument that it was 'misled' about the nature of the services that Planned Parenthood intends to provide at its facility is neither factually nor legally persuasive," the organization says.
However, Aurora Alderman Rick Lawrence defended the city's actions in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, stating that "We have every right to not issue an occupancy permit. If they would have, in my opinion, not defrauded us, we would not have a problem. They brought this upon themselves by not being honest."
Planned Parenthood Chicago Area president Steve Trombley has repeatedly admitted in interviews that his organization deliberately hid its name from the petition, but claims it was in order to avoid controversy before the opening. The organization also claimed in its filings that the future tenant was still undetermined at that time, which Trombley claims was also technically true.
The clinic was originally scheduled to open September 18th, and appointments have already been made. Eric Scheidler of the organization Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood (FVFAPP) says that, given the deceptive practices used by Planned Parenthood in the application process, the clinic should never be allowed to open. Scheidler is leading large-scale protests against the clinic.
Read Previous LifeSiteNews.com Coverage:
City of Aurora Initiates External Investigation Into Planned Parenthood's Deceptive Building Permit Applications
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/sep/07091204.html
Residents Say Planned Parenthood Lied on Giant Abortion Mill Application - City Investigates
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082908.html
Largest Ever Planned Parenthood Abortion Mill Threatens to Open Near Chicago
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082209.html
Chicago Planned Parenthood Faces Lawsuit Over Libelous Ad
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/sep/07091103.html
Chicago Pro-Lifers Launch Massive Effort to Stop New Abortion Clinic from Opening - 40 Day Vigil
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07081801.html
Residents Say Planned Parenthood Lied on Giant Abortion Mill Application - City Investigates
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082908.html