Kansas Abortion Provider Requests Investigation of TV Remarks

Abortion provider George Tiller plans to ask the Kansas Supreme Court today to investigate if Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline and FOX TV Host Bill O’Reilly violated patients’ privacy during an interview on Fox’s "The O’Reilly Factor." O’Reilly reported that a "source inside" one of the two abortion clinics under investigation by Kline said that Tiller provided late-term abortions to depressed women. While a spokesperson for Kline has denied knowledge of O’Reilly’s inside source, Tiller’s attorney claims it is "preposterous" that a person within the clinic would compromise the privacy of the clinic's patients by divulging such information to O’Reilly, the Associated Press reports.

The interview follows Kline's announcement on Tuesday that he had succeeded in his two-year quest to obtain abortion records from two clinics, though the records have been stripped of names and other identifying information. Kline had initially sought these records in 2004, claiming he is using the records to investigate possible illegal late-term abortions and cases of child molestation and rape.

Kline's future as attorney general will be decided by tomorrow’s elections. A recent poll shows Kline trailing by thirteen points to his Democratic opponent, Paul Morrison, according to the Washington Times, which the newspaper attributes to Kline’s request for the abortion records.

Media Resources: Washington Times 11/4/06; Associated Press 11/5/06; Kansas City Star 11/4/06; WIBW TV (Kansas) 11/4/06

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