Posted on Tue, Apr. 14, 2009

e-mail	print	RSS	reprint
AIM	Digg it	del.icio.us	Facebook

Sebelius draws fire over Tiller gifts

BY ERICA WERNER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's health secretary nominee got nearly three times as much political money from a controversial abortion doctor as she told senators.

The Health and Human Services Department said Monday that the omission was an oversight that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius would correct.

In a response to questions from the Senate Finance Committee made public last week, Sebelius wrote that she received $12,450 between 1994-2001 from physician George Tiller, one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers.

But in addition to those campaign donations, records show that Tiller gave at least $23,000 more from 2000-2002 to a political action committee Sebelius established while she was insurance commissioner to raise money for fellow Democrats.

Sebelius did not tell senators about that additional money, although Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., asked about any Tiller donations to her PAC.

"There was an oversight in the initial answer provided to the committee," HHS spokesman Nick Papas said Monday. "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."

It was the second time in her confirmation process that Sebelius had to explain a financial oversight to the Finance Committee. Earlier, she corrected three years' worth of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes to fix improper deductions.

Anti-abortion groups have sought to make an issue of Sebelius' abortion-rights stances and her ties to Tiller, who was acquitted last month of misdemeanor charges stemming from procedures he performed but is now under investigation by the state medical board.

Opponents have criticized Republicans on the Finance Committee for not asking Sebelius about Tiller or abortion when she appeared for her confirmation hearing April 2. Senators raised the issue only in written questions submitted to Sebelius after her hearing.

The Finance Committee was expected to vote this month on forwarding Sebelius' nomination to the full Senate. There was no immediate indication from committee Republicans that her omission on the Tiller contributions would upset that timing.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@