Press Release: Congressmen Pearce, Blackburn Address Criminal Referrals

Congressmen Pearce, Blackburn Address Criminal Referrals for
 University of New Mexico, Southwestern Women's Options

ALBUQUERQUE: Today, Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Chairman of the Select Panel on Infant Lives and Congressman Stevan Pearce lead a coalition of pro-life New Mexico leaders to address the two criminal referrals the Panel issued last year.  The Panel's referrals citied numerous violations of federal and state law between the University of New Mexico and Southwestern Women's Options late-term abortion center.
"At the core of our investigation was a federal statute, USC 289g(2), which deals with receiving money and funds for research and how human tissue is transferred," said Congressman Blackburn.  "To receive even one penny of profit, is a ten year felony offense." 
 
The Panel issued a criminal referral to Attorney General Balderas, which cited violations of 42 USC 289g(2) between the University of New Mexico and Southwestern Women's Options.  The Panel also issued a second criminal referral citing systemic violations of NMSA 24-9-A-1, based on a lawsuit filed by a New Mexico woman and documents submitted by NMAFL.


"Today we call on everyone who claims to respect women's rights, to stand with us and demand justice and action," said Elisa Martinez, executive director of New Mexico Alliance for Life.  "Thousands of New Mexico women's rights have been violated, as they were not provided a legal and valid informed consent to donate infant body parts for UNM research."

New Mexico Alliance for Life has provided the Select Panel thousands of documents obtained by New Mexico's Inspection of Pubic Records Act (IPRA) from the University of New Mexico.  To date, the Attorney General Hector Balderas has made no public commitment to a formal investigation of the criminal referrals. Congressman Pearce and pro-life leaders called on Balderas to take decisive action.  View video of the press conference here.

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The New Mexico Alliance for Life is a nonpartisan organization focused on changing state and local laws by empowering women with better and informed choices when facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies and advocating for better protections for women and unborn children from an unsafe abortion industry. For more information visit www.nmallianceforlife.org