By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO. –
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To read Drummond's letter to Nixon, click here.
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Governor Matt Blunt's health director is using private attorneys to defend against a lawsuit challenging Missouri's new, more stringent requirements for abortion clinics.
State agencies typically are defended in court by the attorney general's office.
But health Director Jane Drummond says she does not trust Attorney General Jay Nixon to defend the department against Planned Parenthood's lawsuit.
Drummond claims Nixon is a supporter of "abortion on demand and a political ally of Planned Parenthood."
The lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the abortion law from taking effect next Tuesday.
"Since my department is the specific target of this litigation, I want to make sure that the regulations that we have interpreted are defended adequately," said Drummond, in an interview with KWMU.
"I do know that he has received some campaign contributions, specifically from the attorneys representing Planned Parenthood in this case, as well as from a Planned Parenthood fundraiser."
Nixon has released a statement, saying he'll still try to cooperate with Health and Senior Services in order to provide the state with a united defense.
Nixon will still take part in the lawsuit because he, too, is listed as a defendant.
Planned Parenthood says if the law is allowed to take effect, it would force them to spend millions on upgrades to their clinics or face closure.