Rubio calls for federal investigation into Planned Parenthood over alleged fetal tissue exchange

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is asking for a federal investigation into whether a Planned Parenthood chapter illegally provided human fetal tissue to a university for research. 

“Not only was Planned Parenthood providing the aborted fetal tissue in exchange for ‘valuable consideration,’ emails between the groups show that Planned Parenthood and [the University of California San Diego] actively collaborated and met at regular intervals to discuss the progress of the research," the Florida lawmaker said in a letter Tuesday.

The university and the Planned Parenthood chapter did not immediate respond Wednesday to a request for comment.

According to documents released by the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest provided the university with human fetal tissue from aborted fetuses in exchange for rights of results from the research conducted. 

Rubio says the transfer in exchange for compensation is against the law and those who participate can get up to 10 years in prison.

"The relationship between Planned Parenthood and UCSD appears to be much more than a mere contract," he wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. 

Rubio also said that the University of Pittsburgh is under investigation for something similar and would like this matter to be looked into.