Komen Exec Karen Handel Calls Planned Parenthood a ‘Gigantic Bully’

The Daily Beast In explaining the decision-making process at Komen, Handel said, “It’s no secret that for some years—long before my time—Komen was dealing with a controversy regarding Planned Parenthood grants. The issue would flare up, then die down, then flare up again. It was fairly cyclical. But over the summer, it intensified. More donors said they were pulling out. The issue was ratcheting up. It wasn’t dying down."

Handel said Komen and Planned Parenthood in December had come to an understanding—a “ladies’ agreement,” as Handel described it—not to discuss the fact that Komen had decided to cut its financial support. In the past two weeks, the Komen foundation—best known for its hugely popular pink-ribbon campaigns to fight breast cancer—has been embroiled in a politically tinged crisis, with critics claiming the decision suggested a lack of support for abortion rights. In response, Komen reversed its decision.