Undercover Clinic

One of the nation's largest abortion clinics opened in October after weathering months of protests, a court battle, and three legal reviews.

At issue was Planned Parenthood's "low-visibility" tactic of applying for a building permit in Aurora, Illinois, under the name of a subsidiary, Gemini Office Development LLC. The City of Aurora investigated whether the misrepresentation constituted fraud, but determined that no state or local laws had been broken in opening the $7.5 million, 22,000-square-foot facility.

Planned Parenthood said its strategy of filing under another name was necessary to keep contractors safe from abortion protesters. Meanwhile, pro-life groups in Denver and Portland say they are already using lessons gleaned from Aurora.

"We've learned the extreme necessity of pro-life people keeping a close eye on local government," said Eric Scheidler, spokesman for Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League. "Now that we know this is a Planned Parenthood strategy, we will certainly be watching them."

Abortion opponents have appealed the Aurora clinic's occupancy permit, and they plan to continue prayer vigils and protests at city council meetings. "We will keep pressure on Planned Parenthood and the City of Aurora so they never forget that an abortion clinic is not welcome here," said Scheidler.

But further court challenges are unlikely to succeed, said Carl Esbeck, a University of Missouri law professor. "I am sympathetic to the pro-life community here, but the law seems to go against them," Esbeck said. "Pro-lifers can [instead] use this as a way to educate the public about Planned Parenthood's deceptive way of operating."

Related Elsewhere:

News about the opening of the clinic and the protests in Aurora includes:

Aurora clinic opens amid cheers and protests | Protesters sang hymns, shed tears and displayed large photos of aborted fetuses Tuesday but did nothing to disrupt the first day of business at the new Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora. (The Chicago Tribune)

Protesters rally outside Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora | Several hundred anti-abortion protesters came together Saturday morning to stage what organizers called the largest demonstration to date challenging the recently opened Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora. (The Chicago Tribune)

Parental notice resolution now targets abortion | The much-discussed parental notification resolution will receive a vote from the full City Council. (The Beacon News)

Zoning appeal set for clinic | The city has set a date to hear anti-abortion activists' appeal of Planned Parenthood's zoning approvals. (The Beacon News)

Poor Planned Parenthood? | As much as liberals decry major corporations that act as if they're above the law, there's always quiet when the subject is Planned Parenthood, America's No. 1 corporate provider of abortions. (opionion, Brent Bozell III, Creators Syndicate)

Previous articles about life ethics and abortion are available in our full-coverage section.