Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards sorry for tone in video on fetal tissue use

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Cecile Richards denied service sold hearts and lungs of aborted fetuses
Dr Deborah Nucatola recorded making comments in restaurant last July
Heard describing how body parts can fetch between $30 and $100 each
President still stands by program encouraging women to donate tissue

Published: 16:52 EST, 16 July 2015 | Updated: 07:43 EST, 17 July 2015

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Planned Parenthood's president has apologized after a senior staff member appeared to suggest the service sold aborted fetal tissue.

Cecile Richards said sorry for the 'tone and statements' of senior director Dr Deborah Nucatola, who was secretly recorded making the comments in a restaurant in July last year.

She also denied the company sold hearts, lungs, livers and the muscles of aborted fetuses and said it did not use 'partial-birth abortion' techniques to deliver some of these organs intact.

Planned Parenthood's president Cecile Richards (left) has apologized after senior staff member Dr Deborah Nucatola (right) appeared to suggest the service sold aborted fetal tissue

Planned Parenthood apologise for 'tone' in covert video

But Ms Richards maintained the company still stood by its program, which encourages women to donate tissue for 'lifesaving' research.

She said: 'Our top priority is the compassionate care that we provide. In the video, one of our staff members speaks in a way that does not reflect that compassion.

'This is unacceptable and I personally apologize for the staff member's tone and statements.'

The controversial footage was released on Tuesday by the Center for Medical Progress.

Dr Nucatola is seen eating a salad and drinking wine as she appears to lists the organs that sell the best, noting that many individuals are looking to purchase livers.

She is filmed explaining: 'I would say it’s probably around $30 to $100, depending on the facility and what is involved.'

In the controversial footage Dr Nucatola is seen eating a salad and drinking wine as she appears to list the organs that sell the best, noting that many individuals are looking to purchase livers

Planned Parenthood director admits to selling fetus body parts

The California-based group claims Ms Nucatola's comments demonstrate that Planned Parenthood was involved in the illegal sale of aborted fetuses.

The Republican governors of Georgia and Indiana joined their counterparts in Louisiana and Texas in ordering state-level investigations after the video emerged.

Two House Democrats have since come out in support of Planned Parenthood.

John Conyers Jr., of Michigan, and Steve Cohen, of Tennessee, said in a joint statement: 'The video does not demonstrate that Planned Parenthood is "selling" fetal tissue.'

They claimed portions of the full video contradicted allegations against Planned Parenthood and said they were edited out of the widely circulated nine-minute version.

Ms Richards added: 'We know the real agenda of organizations behind videos like this.

'Their mission is to ban abortion completely and cut women off from care at Planned Parenthood and other health centers. We will never let that happen.'