Late-Term Abortion Practitioner George Tiller’s Staffer Harasses Pro-Life Advocate
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 13, 2009
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — As staff members of the pro-life group Operation Rescue testified at the Kansas legislature in favor of a bill that would allow women a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child, an employee of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller harassed OR president Troy Newman.
During the hearing, Julie Burkhart, head of Tiller’s political action committee ProKanDo, made a false report to state capitol security.
Burkhart reportedly claimed that Newman had made a death threat against her.
Security officers removed Newman from the hearing room and detained him in a locked security room for several minutes, the pro-life group informed LifeNews.com.
Once Newman explained that Burkhart had made up the false threat to harass and intimidate him, officers immediately let him go without further incident.
Newman told LifeNews.com that he thinks Burkhart wanted to prevent OR officials from testifying in favor of the bill.
"She thought I was the one giving the testimony, and this was just an underhanded tactic meant to prevent our testimony," Newman said.
"This just shows how low Tiller’s people will go to prevent the truth about their unscrupulous abortion business from getting out," he continued. "When things like this happen, we know we are making an impact."
Burkhart’s alleged actions didn’t prevent the testimony as OR staff member Cheryl Sullenger appeared before the House Federal and State Committee.
She talked about the evidence gathered during an undercover investigation conducted by Operation Rescue that showed Tiller’s abortion clinic is intentionally underestimating fetal age to avoid having to comply with Kansas laws banning late-term abortions.
Sullenger supported HB 2076, the pro-life bill to allow women to see their ultrasounds at least 30 minutes before having an abortion.
She explained that, when used in pregnancy centers, 70-80 percent of women or more decide against having an abortion afterwards.
"Will this bill solve all the problems we have uncovered? No, but it will help women make decisions based on accurate information that is now withheld from them. That will save lives," she said.
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