Cecile Richards will depart Planned Parenthood after 12 years, the women’s health and abortion provider confirmed Friday.
The statement confirms a report earlier this week that Richards would step down as president of Planned Parenthood.
“Planned Parenthood has been a trusted resource in this country for more than a century, and I will be leaving the organization well-positioned to serve and fight for our patients for a century more,” Richards said in a statement.
Supporters said Richards grew Planned Parenthood’s membership, activists, and donor rolls.
“As an organizer, activist, and leader, Cecile has helped launch a nationwide movement to defend and advance women’s rights, and in doing so, she has inspired countless women to march, vote, run, and win,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.
Richards led the organization through a scandal surrounding a series of undercover videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the donation and procurement of aborted fetal tissue. The videos from an anti-abortion activist sparked several probes in Congress and in states.
Several states have tried to defund Planned Parenthood through Medicaid, but have been rebuffed by court actions. The Trump administration made it easier for states to defund Planned Parenthood through Medicaid through new regulations last week.
Anti-abortion groups slammed Richards’ tenure after reports of her departure trickled out earlier this week.
“Under the leadership of Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood has grown to push one agenda — abortion above all else — while throwing aside any inkling of actual medical care,” said Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America. “Cancer screenings and STD testing have all declined under her reign.”
