Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline filed criminal charges Friday against late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, who operates an abortion business in Wichita. Kline's office did not identify the charges but Tiller has been the subject of an investigation into abortions on teenage girls who were victims of sexual abuse.

Kline's office has also been investigating whether or not Tiller did illegal late-term abortions on women for reasons of "depression" rather than legitimate medical reasons allowed under Kansas law.

The state's top attorney has been dueling with Tiller and a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Overland Park for over a year as he's tried to access patient records to prove his case.

Dan Monnat, the lawyer for Tiller, says Kline has no basis for the charges and said the patient records he obtained through a court order show no evidence of wrongdoing. Monnat told the Associated Press the abortion businesses may go after Kline.

"We also intend to explore any and all means of holding Kline personally responsible for his malicious actions," Monnat said.

"The filing of criminal charges by Phill Kline is the last gasp of a defeated and discredited politician," the attorney said. "Rather than executing his duty as a prosecutor to see that justice is done, he has chosen to engage in a malicious and spiteful prosecution on the eve of Christmas."

Kline was defeated in his bid for re-election in November by pro-abortion John County attorney Paul Morrison, who has criticized Kline over the probe but has flip-flopped on whether he would drop the investigation.

Mark Simpson, a spokesman for Morrison, said he would not comment on the charges because he hadn't seen them.

The charges may not be prosecuted if Morrison decides to drop the case, although Kline is slated to replace Morrison as the county attorney and may pursue the charges there.

Tiller escaped prosecution in the January 2005 death of Cristin Gilbet, a 19 year-old mentally disabled gil he killed in a botched late-term abrotion. State officials said he followed state laws in doing the abortion.