CfA Files Complaint with Massachusetts Attorney General Against Fake Abortion Clinic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2017
Contact: Daniel Stevens, dstevens@campaignforaccountability.org, 202.780.5750
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Campaign for Accountability (CfA), asked Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to open an investigation into the Attleboro Women’s Health Center (AWHC), which masquerades as an abortion clinic, but is actually part of a pro-life organization that actively tries to deceive women seeking abortion-related services. CfA’s complaint alleges that AWHC is engaging in deceptive business practices in violation of Massachusetts law.
CfA Legal Counsel Katie O’Connor said, “AWHC is deliberately trying to trick women into believing it provides information about abortions and abortions, when it’s real purpose is to prevent women from having abortions. The Attorney General should immediately investigate and stop this fake clinic from deceiving women.”
AWHC shares an address, business hours, and a website registrar with and operates under the same umbrella as Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, a “Christian pro-life ministry” that offers “free services to educate women on their pregnancy options.” Abundant Hope is affiliated with Heartbeat International, a network of crisis pregnancy centers that instructs its affiliates to “hide their anti-abortion motives.”
Massachusetts law prohibits businesses from engaging in “unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.”
Nevertheless, AWHC hosts a website, the home page of which includes tabs for “Abortion Pill” and “Surgical Abortion.” The site even lists costs for these services. Hidden in a different portion of the site is a disclaimer noting AWHC does not “offer, recommend, or refer for abortions or abortifacients.” In addition, the website is riddled with exaggerations and inaccuracies regarding abortion, listing psychological risks associated with abortion and advertising an abortion reversal option, all of which has been debunked by medical experts. AWHC’s site also fails to note its relationship with Abundant Hope.
Finally, it appears AWHC is trying to confuse women looking for Four Women Health Services, an actual abortion clinic in operation since 2003, that is less than a mile away from where AWHC/Abundant Hope opened in 2014, and from which AWHC appears to have copied a portion of its mission statement.
Ms. O’Connor continued, “The whole point of consumer protection laws is to prevent unscrupulous businesses from deceiving people. Given that AWHC’s main goal is to dupe women when they may be particularly vulnerable, the Attorney General should step in an and put an end to this sort of despicable conduct.”
Campaign for Accountability is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog organization that uses research, litigation, and aggressive communications to expose misconduct and malfeasance in public life and hold those who act at the expense of the public good accountable for their actions.