UPDATED: Gilbert Tells Bishop to Stop Planned Parenthood Probe

ROCHESTER, MI – Actress Melissa Gilbert, a Howell Democrat who wants to unseat freshman Congressman Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, in Michigan’s 8th District, said this week in a news release that Bishop should “apologize to Michigan taxpayers” and end his investigation of Planned Parenthood.

Gilbert said Bishop is “wasting … time and money investigating Planned Parenthood based on heavily-edited videos.”

Gilbert said Bishop has voted six times to defund Planned Parenthood.

In response, Bishop spokesman Stu Sandler said Gilbert’s not in a position to criticize how tax dollars are spent since she’s has her own tax problems with more than $470,000 in tax liens.

“Hardworking women and families in the 8th district pay their taxes unlike Melissa Gilbert,” Sandler said. “This extremist group’s out-of-state support is an insult to those women and families that pay their taxes.”

Gilbert’s campaign tried to defuse the situation and issued the following statement:

“Melissa was caught in a perfect storm of financial difficulty, which is why she initiated an honest conversation with the IRS. Together they set up a payment plan that will allow her to pay back her federal taxes over approximately 8 1/2 years and her California taxes over approximately 46 months.”

This week, an investigation into the selling of fetal parts ended with indictments in Texas not against the intended target, Planned Parenthood, but rather against two anti-abortion activists whose undercover tapes of the abortion provider had set off the calls for defunding the family planning group and even jailing its top officials.

Also on Patch

• Planned Parenthood Probe Ends With Twist: Indictments Against Anti-Abortionists
• Actress Melissa Gilbert Announces Congressional Run
• Melissa Gilbert Opens Her Books: Earns at Least $100K Annually
• Campaign: Gilbert Will Pay Off Tax Liens by 2024

The videos created by the anti-abortionists purported to show Planned Parenthood officials willing to ship fetal tissue and other abortion remnants — for a fee. Planned Parenthood has contended it ships such materials to researchers and charges only to recover its own costs for transportation and handling.

Planned Parenthood was cleared of any wrongdoing in the investigation.

In a statement last summer, Bishop said he supported the congressional inquiry into the alleged trafficking of fetal tissue.

“I stand with my colleagues in calling for an investigation of Planned Parenthood’s heinous activities. For any person to engage in such egregious acts, let alone speak of it so callously, is beyond disturbing and reflects upon their entire organization,” Bishop said at the time. “Our Republican Congress has been vocal about protecting America’s unborn children, and these tragic developments reinforce why our fight is so important.”

Below is a video of Bishop during the first Planned Parenthood investigation hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.