LeRoy Carhart

LeRoy "Lee" H. Carhart is a late-term abortionist who works in Bellevue, Nebraska at the Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. Carhart also commits abortions part-time at the Affiliated Women's Services of Indianopolis, Indiana.

Faith Aloud

As at 2011, LeRoy Carhart is on the board of governors for Faith Aloud. The mission of Faith Aloud is "to eliminate the religious stigma of abortion," and was incorporated in 1982.

The Abortion Provider's Declaration of Rights

LeRoy Carhart signed The Abortion Provider's Declaration of Rights, a declaration of the rights of abortion providers.

Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health

Carhart is a former board member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.

Women's Health Care Services

In 1975, George Tiller opened and worked as director/owner of Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kansas. It was "world-renowned as a place where women could receive abortions up until the ninth month. There was a metal detector and patients had to provide their name and identification to get in. Women from age 9 to 60 came from all around the world to have late-term abortions.

LeRoy Carhart, his wife Mary Lou Carhart, as well as Shelley Sella and Susan Celina Robinson worked alongside Tiller as abortionists at the facility. Each abortionist worked several days a month on a rotating schedule and were flown in from out of state.

Republican Party

As at July 25, 2010, LeRoy Carhart was a member of the Republican Party.

Germantown Reproductive Health Services

The Germantown Reproductive Health Services abortion business employs Leroy Carhart. He is a late term abortionist from Nebraska. He is well known for his opposition to the ban on partial-birth abortions, and challenged the federal ban in court in the case Gonzales v. Carhart. He is currently under investigation for misrepresentation of his employment history on his Maryland medical license application. He is also implicated in the death of 19 year old Christin Gilbert when he botched a third trimester abortion on her unborn child..

Republican Majority for Choice

On May 30, 2000, Carhart was the keynote speaker at the annual gala for the Republican Majority for Choice held at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Here the PAC presented its annual "Choice" Award to the late Senator John Chafee, "in recognition of his unwavering commitment to personal choice during his long and illustrious career as a US Senator from the State of Rhode Island." Senator Lincoln Chafee accepted the award on behalf of his father. Dina Merrill, actress, member of the Republican Majority for Choice Board of Directors and highly visible Pro-Choice Republican was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening's events.

On July 25, 2000, LeRoy Carhart addressed a news conference for the Republican Majority for Choice in Philadelphia at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. Click here for full text of LeRoy Carhart's remarks at this event.

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

As of 2009, LeRoy Carhart is a director on the Board of Directors for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice which was founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders in an effort to provide interfaith support for abortion rights.

NARAL

"NARAL Stands with Carhart"

On August 28, 2009, Carhart and abortion lobby leaders including Emilie Ailts, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado held a press conference in Bellevue, Nebraska. At the conference Ailts stated,

"I am here today on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America, NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, my colleagues in other state affiliates, and the million-plus Americans who are members of the organizations that comprise our network. I am honored to stand in unity with Dr. Carhart and his staff. Their continued courage and commitment against many odds make it possible for women in Nebraska and across the country to make the personal and private decision to access safe, legal abortion care with dignity."

NARAL Pro-Choice America and the following state affiliates signed on to this statement of support for Dr. Carhart, his staff, and his patients:

• NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona
• NARAL Pro-Choice California
• NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
• NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut
• NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
• NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
• NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota
• NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri
• NARAL Pro-Choice Montana
• NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire
• NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico
• NARAL Pro-Choice New York
• NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
• NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
• NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon
• NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota
• NARAL Pro-Choice Texas
• NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia
• NARAL Pro-Choice Washington
• NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin
• NARAL Pro-Choice Wyoming

2010 Support for Carhart

On Dec. 6, 2010, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Jenny Blasdell, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, issued a joint statement reaffirming the organizations’ support for Carhart. It was that day that Carhart began committing abortions at Germantown Reproductive Health Services. The statement reads,

"After Dr. George Tiller was brutally murdered inside his Kansas church in 2009, Dr. LeRoy Carhart stepped up his commitment to provide care to women who face severe health- or life-threatening complications in their pregnancies. Dr. Carhart’s courageous decision to continue serving women and their families after Dr. Tiller’s murder made him the top target of anti-choice groups. These groups organized protests outside his Nebraska-based clinic and used the legislative process to make it more difficult for the women and families he served to access the care he provides in that state. As Dr. Carhart begins his practice in Maryland, we stand behind him and his staff as they provide care to women and families who often are in heart-breaking situations. It is disappointing and outrageous that these patients will have to endure anti-choice harassment outside the health center in order to access the care they need. We are confident that the people of Maryland will support Dr. Carhart and the women he serves. Marylanders will oppose any efforts to make their state the home of the anti-choice threats and intimidation like we have seen in Kansas and Nebraska."

NOW

"NOW Stands with Carhart"

On Aug. 28, 2011 a "Clinic Defense and Counter-Protest of Anti-Abortion Demonstrations" was held outside Carhart's late-term abortion facility, the Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. The event included a press conference from 9:30am - 10:00am and a "Clinic Defense and Counter-Demonstration" from 7:00am - the time the facility closed for the day. Speaking at the press conference were LeRoy Carhart; Terry O'Neill, President, National Organization for Women; Katherine Spillar, Executive Vice President, Feminist Majority Foundation; and Debra Sweet, National Director, World Can't Wait.

NOW president Terry O'Neill stated,

"Because NOW believes that it is every woman's right to have access to the full range of reproductive health care, I will be there to stand with leaders and activists from NOW and other organizations to help defend these brave providers... Clinic violence and harassment are domestic terrorism, plain and simple. The hateful rhetoric and attacks have grown bolder this year. As we prepare to stand in peaceful support of women's rights in Nebraska, we know that every clinic in the United States is a potential target. I call on the Obama Administration to respond to this threat using the strongest means possible, to prosecute the criminals, their funders and their co-conspirators, and to protect every provider, worker and patient across this nation."

Unsafe Practices Reported by Former Employees

On Sep. 3, 2009, pro-life groups met with Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and presented to him three signed affidavits from former employees of abortionist LeRoy Carhart alleging a pattern of illegal activity stretching back for years. At the press conference, Operation Rescue president Troy Newman stated,

"For the first time, we have sworn statements from women who have admitted that they were instructed to commit illegal activity at Carhart’s abortion clinic in Bellevue, Nebraska. That makes their allegations compelling and convincing. These women came forward on their own to blow the whistle on Carhart out of concern for the safety and wellbeing of women. These are not pro-life activists by any stretch of the imagination."

The affidavits and other documents were presented to Bruning at the meeting where he took custody of them.

The former employees, whose names remain confidential, made allegations that Carhart had workers without proper licensing and training performing medical tasks that were illegal for them to do, such as starting IVs and dispensing medications. They said that illegal post-viability abortions were performed. The women also indicated that drugs had gone missing at the clinic, that Carhart was chemically impaired while on duty, and that there were generally unclean conditions at the clinic, including dried blood on medical instruments. They indicated that Carhart had poor personal hygiene and rarely washed his hands between patients.

Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options

Leroy Carhart addresses Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options

On July 5, 2010, during the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly, Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options held a luncheon. Leroy Carhart, member of the board of directors of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice was keynote speaker at the luncheon. Below is a selection the comments he made at the event:

"We need an army to destroy the American Taliban! Before Roe [v. Wade] - women died in the streets every day!"

"I know I’m a cynic, but I firmly believe [the Pro-Life Movement's] final goal is to take away a woman’s right to vote. It’s really about control of women.”

"We need to wake up our senators to the fact that the people of America are pro-choice... [Only] seventeen percent of Americans are anti-choice, as we know."

"Over the last twenty years, hundreds of thousands of abortions have been prevented by better birth control... We’re really trying to make abortion not needed."

"“We’re trying to prevent the need for abortion, but that’s utopia.”

"Most women that have abortions are emotionally recovered by the time they leave the clinic."

Advisory Letter from MD Dept. Health

On Nov. 4, 2011, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene contacted Operation Rescue stating that its board had received the complaint filed by Operation Rescue alleging that Carhart lied to the Medical Board about his abortion business in order to gain licensure in Maryland, and that he routinely falsified fetal ages by taking bogus ultrasound readings. The letter stated in part,

"Your inquiry prompted the Board to conduct a full investigation... Following a careful review of the matter, the Board voted to resolve this case by issuing an Advisory Letter to the above-mentioned physician. An advisory letter is used to inform, educate or admonish a health care provider."

Carhart Patient Died from Complications

On Feb. 7, 2013, 29-year old Jennifer McKenna Morbelli died as the result of fatal complications suffered during an abortion at 33 weeks that was done by LeRoy Carhart at the Germantown Reproductive Health Center abortion business. The woman, who came for a third trimester abortion from out-of-state, arrived at GRHC on Sunday and was seen by pro-life activists every day through Wednesday. Witnesses said she appeared “pale and weak.”

Early Thursday morning, the woman began suffering chest pain and other discomforts. Her attempts to reach Carhart were unsuccessful. The woman was taken by her family from her hotel to a nearby hospital emergency room at approximately 5:00 a.m. Efforts by hospital staff to contact Carhart or get informational assistance from the abortion clinic were unsuccessful. The patient suffered massive internal bleeding into her abdominal cavity. She slipped into a Code Blue condition approximately six times before finally succumbing to her injuries at around 9:30 a.m. The case has been placed with the Medical Examiner for further investigation.

Criminal Investigation over Illegal Dumping

On Feb. 11, 2013, David Williams of the Maryland Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Unit contacted Janet Kotowski, a sidewalk counselor in Germantown, to notify her that LeRoy Carhart and the Germantown Reproductive Health Services late-term abortion business were currently under investigation. In Nov. 2011, Kotowski had written asking the agency to look into illegal dumping of biohazardous waste and private patient information at the Center. Kotowski's request followed a formal complaint filed with the Environmental Crimes Unit by Operation Rescue in July, 2012. The complaint included edited video and photographic evidence that showed GRHS and Carhart engaged in the illegal dumping on a routine basis. Evidence included:

1. Documents containing private patient information concerning birth control prescriptions and abortion procedures, as well as copies of patient driver’s licenses.
2. Bloody refuse blood clots and possible human fetal remains.
3. Drug control violations.

Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue also spoke with Williams on Feb. 11, agreeing to turn over unedited video-taped evidence of the illegal dumping documented last year to aid in his investigation. Williams told Sullenger, "This is a very serious criminal investigation."

Inhumane Treatment of Animals

Town and Country officers Tammy Ault, left, and Leroy Sorenson remove a horse from property belonging to Bellevue doctor, LeRoy Carhart.

In 1992, four of Carhart's eleven horses, and two dogs, were confiscated by the humane society due to neglect. An officer of the humane society said she had not obtained a warrant because the animals were in danger of death. She also said that the horses were in danger of starvation even though several large bales of inferior-quality hay were outside a fence, just beyond the reach of the horses. Some of the older horses had bite marks on their backs indicating that younger horses had driven them away from what food was available, and that the most skeletal of the horses, a 20 to 30-year-old female, had to be coaxed from a barn that was a foot deep in mud and excrement. The humane society spokesperson also said that Carhart "wasn't too happy" that she had taken the horses, and that he threatened to file charges against her.