Cabinet nominee Gov. Sebelius misreported donations from late-term abortionist

Washington D.C., Apr 14, 2009 / 07:31 pm MT (CNA).- A new report shows that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, significantly underreported the size of donations she received from a notorious late-term abortionist.

Responding to questions from the Senate Finance Committee made public last week, Gov. Sebelius wrote that she received $12,450 from Kansas late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller between 1994 and 2001, the Associated Press reports.

However, records show Tiller gave at least $23,000 more between 2000 and 2002 to the Bluestem Fund, a political action committee established by Sebelius to raise money for fellow Democrats and her own campaigns.

During committee hearings Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) specifically asked the governor about any Tiller donations to her PAC.

“There was an oversight in the initial answer provided to the committee,” HHS spokesman Nick Papas on Monday told the Associated Press. “Obviously donations to the PAC are a matter of public record. The governor is updating the answer to this question and will resubmit it to the committee.”

The discrepancy is the second that Gov. Sebelius has had to explain during her confirmation process. Previously, she corrected three years’ worth of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes to fix improper deductions.

The records concerning Tiller’s contributions were circulated by Operation Rescue and verified by the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.

Operation Rescue said the discovery raises “ethical questions” about the governor’s fitness to serve.

The pro-life group also continues to criticize Gov. Sebelius for hosting Tiller and his abortion clinic staff at a 2007 reception at the governor’s mansion.

While Sebelius has claimed the reception was donated as a fundraising item for a non-profit group, Greater Kansas City Women‘s Political Caucus, Operation Rescue has claimed the group was in fact a political action committee.