Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the HHS failed to respond to a July 15, 2022 FOIA request seeking all NIH "communications concerning human fetal tissue between the Office of Extramural Research and any of the following entities: (1) University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), (2) University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, (3) the National Abortion Federation and (4) any Planned Parenthood entity."
In 2021, the Biden administration shut down an Ethics Advisory Board that reviewed applications for NIH funding if their proposals involved the use of fetal tissue harvested from elective abortions. Judicial Watch sought information on exactly how taxpayer funds were being spent on these projects under the Biden administration.
“We have already established collusion between the University of Pittsburgh and the NIH over the fetal organ ‘chop shop’ in the University of Pittsburgh paid for with federal tax dollars,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Biden administration turned the spigot back on for taxpayer funding of this barbarism, and we want the details.”
