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Probe of Fetal Tissue Sales Has Rocky Start
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2000 (Reuters) - A congressional probe seeking to
expose alleged profiteering on sales of fetal tissue for research got
off to a rocky start on Thursday as Republicans were forced to distance
themselves from a key witness.
Lawrence Dean Alberty Jr., who said he had worked for two companies that
obtained and sold tissue, delivered a statement alleging some samples
were taken from live babies.
After Democrats pointed to a number of inconsistencies between an
affidavit Alberty signed in January and various other statements,
Republicans disowned him.
``Your credibility, as far as this member is concerned, is shot,'' Rep.
Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, told Alberty, who was
appearing at a hearing of a House Commerce subcommittee.
Fetal tissue research is permitted because scientists believe it holds
promise for treating a range of diseases. But its sale is strictly
limited. Sellers only can recoup the cost of harvesting tissue and
cannot turn a profit.
A group that opposes abortions, Life Dynamics Inc., paid Alberty to make
charges about unscrupulous practices on a video, Alberty told the panel.
Alberty, however, said he now stood by his January affidavit and could
not say whether his former employers, companies called Opening Lines and
the Anatomic Gift Foundation, had committed any crimes regarding fetal
tissue sales.
``When I was under oath I told the truth ... Anything I said on a video
when I'm not under oath, that is a different story,'' Alberty said. He
later added he made allegations on the Life Dynamics video because he
thought ``that's what they wanted to hear.''
Another key figure in the alleged scandal did not appear. The committee
voted to hold a Dr. Miles Jones, who lawmakers said worked for Opening
Lines, in contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a subpoena to
testify. An official from the Anatomical Gift Foundation was invited to
speak but did not appear.
Despite Thursday's events, panel members planned to continue probing
whether illegal fetal tissue sales were taking place, committee
spokesman Steve Schmidt told reporters.
Even if Alberty's charges were disregarded, that ``does not mitigate the
fact it appears there is a trafficking of tissue parts in violation of
federal law,'' Schmidt said.
Some doctors may be putting women's health at risk by changing abortion
procedures to obtain better tissue, Schmidt said.
The panel has obtained documents listing prices for various fetal organs
and other evidence, Schmidt said.
Two scientists and a fetal tissue research advocate, however, told the
panel they had never seen a case where someone sold tissue at an
unreasonable price.
``I can't imagine that going on with any of the scientists I've talked
to,'' said Joan Samuelson, president of the Parkinson's Action Network.
Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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