Then-gubernatorial Virginia Democrat candidate Ralph Northam received nearly $2 million in donations from Planned Parenthood Virginia.
Virginia Gov. Northam received intense backlash after he backed a Virginia bill which would have repealed most of Virginia’s abortion restriction laws and allowed abortion even as a woman is about to give birth. Virginia Democrat Delegate Kathy Tran introduced the measure.
Virginia’s legislature has since tabled the legislation.
At a press conference on Thursday, Northam said that he “does not have any regrets” about his backing of the legislation.
During the gubernatorial campaign, Northam received nearly $2 million on donations from the state Planned Parenthood affiliate, according to the non-partisan Virginia Public Access Project. This serves as the third highest donor to Northam’s 2017 campaign for governor, below DGA Action and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
During Northam’s campaign, Planned Parenthood’s Virginia affiliate announced its plan to spend roughly $3 million to elect the Democrat for governor.
Northam said he was “happy” to have the organization’s support.
Breitbart News reporter Dr. Susan Berrry reported that Planned Parenthood tried to back Northam and the bill by suggesting that doctors perform late-term abortions due to “fetal abnormalities” or “serious risks” to the woman’s health.
Northam also made a campaign stop at an abortion facility in Alexandria, Virginia.
After Northam backed the controversial abortion bill, a Northam spokesperson released a statement which said:
No woman seeks a third-trimester abortion except in the case of tragic or difficult circumstances, such as a nonviable pregnancy or in the event of severe fetal abnormalities.
The governor’s comments were limited to the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman [facing nonviable pregnancy or severe fetal abnormalities] went into labor.”
Northam said his comments about late-term abortions were “mischaracterized.” The Virginia Democrat Gov. said:
I’m a physician, I’m also the governor. But when I’m asked questions, a lot of times it is put in the context of being a physician, again, realizing how we approach, how we manage patients, how we offer advice and counseling. So, no, I don’t have any regrets, but I do find how my comments – I did answer that question. I regret that those comments have been mischaracterized. The personal insults toward me I really find disgusting.
“So, again as I said in my comments just earlier, we can agree to disagree … but let’s be civil about it,” Northam added.
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